Biulir dal

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s Biulir Dal, also called Kolai Dal, uses skinless urad dal with fennel seed, ginger, asafoetida and chillies. Her Bengali family recipe aims for well-cooked lentils that retain body in a moderately thick dal.

Fennel seeds soak in water and are roughly crushed with the selected mortar-and-pestle method. The lentils are washed under running water, then placed in a pressure cooker with salt, the selected optional turmeric and cooking water.

The cooker is closed with its lid and weight for cooking, then opened once its pressure has dropped. The dal is kept well-cooked without making it soggy.

Mustard oil is tempered with dried red chilli and asafoetida. Ginger paste and the same crushed fennel cook briefly, and the whole tempering is added to the cooked dal with slit green chilli and more of the same salt if needed.

Further low-heat cooking and water adjustment give the dal its moderately thick consistency, then lemon juice is mixed in. The selected serving includes steamed rice, prepared Aloo Posto and the separately offered slice of Gandhoraj lime.