Narkel diye chholar dal

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s Narkel diye Cholar Dal is her Bengali split-Bengal-gram side dish with coconut, cashews, raisins and aromatic spices. This selection follows her pressure-cooker and coconut-paste recipe, served hot with luchi.

Half the coconut is cut into small slices and the rest made into a paste. The dal is washed under running water and pressure-cooked with turmeric, salt and water, using the cooker’s lid and vent weight. The lid is opened after the pressure drops.

Mustard oil heats in a pan, and the coconut pieces, cashews and raisins are fried in turn. The same cooking fat is tempered with dried red chilli, bay leaf, cinnamon, black and green cardamom and cumin seeds. Asafoetida and part of the ghee are added, followed by ginger paste and a little separate water.

The remaining turmeric, selected optional red chilli powder, part of the cumin powder, part of the garam masala and sugar are mixed in. The prepared coconut paste cooks until oil releases, then the same cooked dal and its water return with the fried coconut, nuts and raisins. A little of the fried mixture is reserved for the selected optional garnish.

Salt is adjusted and the pan cooks covered briefly. The remaining ghee and garam masala are stirred in with dry-roasted cumin powder. The dal is served hot with supplied luchi and the reserved garnish.