Motor dal vate

Madhushree Basu Roy’s Motor Dal Bhate cooks yellow split peas in a tied cloth bundle alongside rice, then mashes them with onion, coconut, chillies and mustard oil. She discusses this preparation within Bengali bhate, bhape and makha terminology.

The peas are washed, soaked in hot water and drained. A selected grinder makes a thick paste with a separate small water portion; the paste is enclosed in muslin and tied into a bundle.

The same bundle cooks in the pot with the rice. Once the rice is cooked, the bundle is taken out and allowed to cool a little before the cloth is opened and the firm pea mass transferred to a mixing bowl.

Fingers break up and mash the cooked peas. Finely chopped onion, green chillies, salt, fresh grated coconut, the selected optional coriander leaves and mustard oil are worked into the same mixture.

The selected spooned presentation is served with the steamed rice, with more of the same mustard oil drizzled over it. The author specifically recommends hot rice alongside the mash.