Cholar Dal (Bengali Chana Dal)

This Bengali Cholar Dal is nutty with chana dal or cut up chickpeas, and it has an assertive however beautiful sweetness from coconut and raisins. It is a scrumptious, distinctive and comforting dal that is normally served at celebratory meals, however its simplicity makes it an awesome weeknight recipe.

Cholar dal in karahi bowl with cinnamon stick, coconut and raisins.

Table of Contents

What’s cholar dal?

Cholar dal (chhola’r dal) is a Bengali fashion lentil recipe made with chana dal or cut up chickpeas (“chhola” in Bengali), coconut, jaggery and raisins. Bengalis additionally check with it as narkel diye cholar dal, that means chickpea dal with coconut, or niramish chholar dal, that means vegetarian cholar dal.

The dal has an assertive sweetness from the fried coconut, raisins and jaggery, together with spiciness from chili peppers, which makes it distinctive even amongst a plethora of Indian dal recipes.

Recipes for Cholar Dal virtually all the time begin off by alerting you that it is a dish for particular events, served at Bengali weddings or different celebrations. Its simplicity, although, tempts one to interrupt that hallowed custom and label this a dal good for weeknight meals. It’s certainly one of my favourite Bengali recipes and I am so excited to share it with you.

Desk of Contents

Why you will love this recipe

Straightforward recipe. The cholar dal recipe has a barely lengthy ingredient listing in comparison with this Bengali dal with panch phoron. However it too takes just some minutes to make after you’ve got cooked the lentils. Get spices out of a jar, toss them into the saucepan, and also you’re finished. All that deliciousness for thus little work!
Uniquely scrumptious. The combo of candy and spicy makes this a dal to relish. Youngsters will like it and you’ll find your self making it time and again.
Nutritious. Lentils are nice for you, after all, and even the sweetness on this dal comes from wholesome sources–jaggery, an unrefined brown sugar, raisins and coconut. Like all dals, this chhola’r dal is loaded with fiber and protein.
Soy-free, nut-free, vegan and gluten-free. This dal will work for many diets.

Elements

Examine recipe card beneath for actual portions of all elements.

Chana dal (chhola/Bengal gram dal). Chana dal or cut up chickpeas come from brown chickpeas, not from the beige chickpeas we additionally name garbonzo beans.
Bay leaves. These are added to the lentils as they cook dinner and so they impart a delicate however scrumptious aroma.
Oil. Any impartial oil, together with avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or peanut oil, is okay. Use mustard oil you probably have it as a result of it is what can be utilized by a Bengali cook dinner. At all times enable mustard oil to warmth to the purpose the place it is smoking gently earlier than including the mustard seeds to it.
Spices: Turmeric, black mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, floor cumin, floor cardamom, dried purple chili peppers and garam masala.
Ginger
Raisins. Golden raisins are splendid, however black raisins will do.
Recent coconut or dried coconut. You’ll need small slivers of coconut for this recipe. You’ll find recent coconut at well being meals shops like Complete Meals and a few supermarkets. Dried coconut, known as “kopra,” could be discovered at Indian grocery shops. Both will work on this recipe. However if you cannot supply them, use ¼ cup of coconut milk as an alternative and add it towards the tip of cooking.
Jaggery. That is an unrefined sugar. Piloncillo is a superb substitute. Or use coconut sugar or any brown sugar.

Serving ideas

Cholar Dal is often eaten with luchis — small, puffy, deep-fried breads made from refined flour. You’ll be able to serve the cholar dal with pooris, that are very comparable however are made with complete wheat flour, which makes them more healthy.
You may as well make rotis to scoop up the dal with.
Serve the cholar dal with rice and with a vegetable aspect like Aloo Posto and an Indian lime pickle.

Storage directions

Refrigerate: Retailer within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 4 months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat the dal within the microwave or on the stovetop. Add somewhat water and test for salt if wanted.

Recipe FAQs

I haven’t got chana dal. Can I make this with one other lentil?

It is a Bengali chana dal recipe and chana dal is the star right here. You merely will not get the true taste and expertise of a cholar dal with out it. Sorry, however this isn’t an ingredient you’ll be able to substitute on this dal.

Is cholar dal wholesome?

Though it has some jaggery and raisins in it, these are unrefined sugars and the dal may be very wholesome. It has simply 137 energy, 4 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in every serving.

Can I make cholar dal within the Immediate Pot?

Positive. To make an Immediate Pot cholar dal, use the saute operate for steps 2 and three. Add the raw, washed chana dal to the liner with three cups water and cook dinner for 10 minutes on guide strain. Let the strain launch naturally or force-release after 10 minutes. Take away lid, return Immediate Pot to saute operate, and proceed with step 5.

Extra Indian dal recipes

Should you love this cholar dal, take a look at different Indian vegan recipes at Holy Cow Vegan!

Cholar Dal

This Bengali Cholar Dal is nutty with chana dal or cut up chickpeas, and it has an assertive however beautiful sweetness from coconut and raisins. It is a scrumptious, distinctive and comforting dal that is normally served at celebratory meals, however its simplicity makes it an awesome weeknight recipe.

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Course: Dal

Delicacies: Indian, Indian (Bengali)

Eating regimen: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 8 servings

Energy: 137kcal

Creator: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

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Directions

Wash the lentils. Add turmeric powder and bay leaves. If you’re utilizing an Immediate Pot, cook dinner the lentils with 3 cups water on guide strain for 10 minutes. In an Indian fashion strain cooker cook dinner them for 4 whistles. If utilizing a saucepan, soak the lentils for a number of hours first. Discard the water, add recent water to cowl the lentils by a few inches, and produce to a boil. Let the lentils cook dinner at a simmer, lined, till they’re smooth and tender however are nonetheless holding their form.
In a saucepan, warmth the oil. Add the mustard seeds and, once they sputter, add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and purple chili peppers. Saute a minute till the cardamom seems to be puffy, then add the slivers of coconut, if utilizing, and saute till the coconut is calmly golden brown. Watch fastidiously as a result of coconut can burn rapidly.
Add the raisins and ginger, saute for 30 seconds, then add the coriander powder and cumin powder. Combine.
Pour within the cooked lentils or dal with a cup of cooking inventory or water. Combine properly and produce to a boil over medium warmth. Cowl and let the lentils simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the jaggery and blend it in. Comply with with the garam masala. Combine properly and let the dal simmer for 5 extra minutes. It ought to have a quite thick consistency with little seen liquid. Serve sizzling with steamed rice or poori.

Recipe notes

If you cannot supply recent coconut or dried coconut, use ¼ cup coconut milk as an alternative. Add it to the saucepan after the garam masala and simply earlier than you flip off warmth in step 5.

Storage directions

Refrigerate: Retailer within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 4 months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat the dal within the microwave or on the stovetop. Add somewhat water and test for salt if wanted.

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Tags: Bengali, Chana, Cholar, Dal