DHOKAR DALNA (A TRADITIONAL BENGALI VEGETARIAN DISH (CHANA DAL KOFTA CURRY OR BENGAL GRAM LENTIL'S CAKE SIMMERED IN FLAVOURFUL GRAVY.)

Dhokar Dalna' is a traditional  Bengali  vegetarian dish, is made with cholar dal (in bengali), chana dal or bengal gram lentil.
It is diamond  shaped chana dal koftas or bengal gram lentil's cake simmered in flavourful  gravy.It is a pure vegan or satvik dish as it does not contain onion, garlic  or any orher dairy based product.
If you ask the reason behind the ame of this dish,I will say that ..No Idea.Dhoka means in Bengali or in Hindi is to cheat  someone ..I do not have any idea how does this dish cheat someone? Jokes apart..now we will see the step by method of Dhokar Dalna.First we will learn the methods of Fried  Dhoka or Chana Dal Koftas or Lentil's Cake.
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Author - Moumita 
Preparation Time - 15 Minutes 
Soaking Time - 10 hours 
Cooking Time - 20 Minutes 
Servings - 2 
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INGREDIENTS 

1.2 cup bengal gram dal (cholar dal),
1bay leaf,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1 tsp cumin  powder,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1tsp chilli powder,
Potatoe-1 (cut into medium  cubes)[optional]
1tsp ghee,
1/2 sp garam masala powder,
1tsp cumin seeds,
1/2 cup oil ( preferrably mustard oil )
Salt to taste

METHODS OF MAKING FRIED DHOKA OR CHANA DAL KOFTA OR BENGAL GRAM LENTIL'S CAKE 

Soak chana dal in water overnight.

Drain the water and grind it with chilli and salt to make a paste,add water if required,

Heat oil in kadai,add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and ginger paste mixed with little bit water

Add dal paste and 1/4th turmeric powder and stir it,cook it until the mix comes off the sides clean.

Take it out on a plate,pat lightly with your hands to form a flat base.let it be cool.

Cut it into diamond shape and deep fry till golden brown on both sides.Please be sure they do not break.

Your Dhoka  or Chana Dal Kofta  is ready to serve.
You can have  some fried dhoka. It taste yummy.Now we will see the method of making Dhokar Dalna..or Purely Vegan Flavourful Gravy of This Dhoka or Chana Dal Kofta or Bengal Gram lentil's cake.

METHOD OF MAKING  DALNA OR A FLAVOURFUL GRAVY OF DHOKA OR CHANA DAL KOFTA OR BENGAL GRAM LENTIL'S CAKE 

Heat oil in a kadai,

Fry potato ( cut into cubes) till golden brown,remove,keep aside,

Temper the oil with bay leaf and remaining cumin seeds,

Make a paste mix with ginger paste,coriander powder,cumin powder, remaining turmeric powder and chilli powder,add this paste to kadai and fry the masala at low heat,

Add the potatoes and 1 cup of water,add salt to taste, add sugar...when the water starts  boiling. .simmer  the gas and cover with lid.  and cook it until potatoes are done,

Remove lid..and add ghee and garam masala,and gently mix,

Gently add fried dhoka or chana dal koftas,  simmer  the gas for couple of minutes to let the dhoka soak up the water.

your dhokar dalna (chana dal kofta curry) is ready to serve.Serve it with hot steamed rice ot it also goes well with Roti ,,chapati,paratha or luchi  or poori.

GHUGNI (BENGALI STYLE DRIED YELLOW PEAS CURRY)

Ghugni is a popular street food  in Kolkata  as well as Assam,  Bihar  and Odissa. It is made from dried white peas and cooked up with  spices and Bhaja Masala or roasted masala..it is the main ingredient of ghugni.It is served with the toppings of chopped  onions,green chillies, chopped  coriander  leaves, tamarind water or lemon juice and a pinch of black salt.

Preparation Time - 7-8hrs (including soaking time)
Cooking Time - 15 minutes 
Servings -4


INGREDIENTS  FOR  GHUGNI

Dried Yellow Peas - 2 cups, soaked in water for overnight
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
 Oil - 1/4 cup (preferrably mustard oil )
Bay leaf - 1 large
Onion, chopped - 2 cup
Ginger & Garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Cumin Powder - 1/2 teasoon
Coriander Powder -1tsp
Tomato, chopped - 1 large
Salt  to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR BHAJA MASALA 

Cumin Seeds-2tsp
Coriander Seeds -2tsp
Dry Red Chilli -4 ( according to your taste )


METHOD OF MAKING BHAJA MASALA OR ROASTED MASALA


Take all the ingredients  of  bhaja masala  or roasted masala on tawa...dry roast them until light brown. .let them be cool...grind and make a fine powder.

Keep 2tsp of this masala aside for topping..and add remaining  masala in cooking.



INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPINGS

Onion chopped-1
Green chilli chopped -2
Lemon Juice-1tsp or Tamarind Water...(soak 1 tsp  tamarind in 1 bowl water for 30 minutes...thain strain it)
Bhaja Masala-1tsp
Black Salt-1/2tsp
Cilantro or Coriander leaves (  chopped)-1/2cup



METHOD 

At first take the overnight soaked "Dried Peas" in a pressure cooker with little water in it(1/2 cup), add salt and pressure cook  upto 1 whistle. Turn off the heat and wait till the pressure is released.Open the cooker lid and keep aside

Take a pan, heat the oil in it. When the oil s hot enough, add bay leaf and  chopped onions,fry until  golden  brown.

Add ginger garlic paste, fry until raw smell of masala paste goes away

Add chopped tomatoe,cumin powder,red chilli  powder,turmeric powder ,coriander powde  and salt (you already added salt while boiling  peas..so be cautious  of the quantity  of  salt). .cook until oil gets separated.Sprinkle some water to the pan to prevent the masala from burning.


Now add the  boiled Dried Peas and toss with the masala mixture. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and let the curry boil for 5 minutes, cover  on cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

After 5 minutes of boiling..sprinkle roasted or bhaja masala into the gravy and  give a nice stir. Turn off the heat and let the curry stand for 10 minutes.


HOW TO ADD TOPPINGS  BEFORE SERVING 

Serve  hot your ghugni sprinkle chopped  onions, chillues,coriander  leaves...little bit black salt and roasted or bhaja masala.,lemon juice or tamarind water...

DALMA (ODIYA STYLE DAL OR LENTIL SOUP WITH LOTS OF VEGETABLES)

                                   

             
Dalma is a famous traditional recipe prepared in Odisha. Whatever is the occasion Dalma is must in an Odia kitchen. It is a very  healthy recipe providing almost all the nutrients required for a balanced meal. It is among the 56 food items (Mahaprasad) offered to Lord Jagannath in the temple of Puri,as there is no use of onion  and  garlic.

Here I have cooked dalma using   with arhar  dal,chana dal and few vegetables..you can cook using any dal and vegetables...choosing  dal and vegetabler are upto you...whatever  dal and vegetables you like,you can choose.

Here three ingredients are important. ..pachphoron, grated coconut and powder of cumin seeds or jeera and  dry red chilli).So do not forget to put these  three  ingredients.

Pachphoron  is the famous  spices in Bengali  and Odiya cuisin.. In Odissa...it is called Pachphutana....All of the spices in panch phoron are seeds. Typically, panch phoron consists offenugreek seed (methi ) , nigella seed , cumin seed , black mustard seed and fennel seed  in equal parts.We do tempering  oil with it to make some dal,sabji etc.

INGREDIENTS 

Arhar or Toor dal -1/2cup
Chana or Bengal Gram or Cholar dal-1/2cup
Papita (Raw Papaya) – 1/4 th of a small  papaya(cut into cubes )
Potato-1(cut into cubes )
Brinjal – 1/2(cut into cubes )
Drumstick -1(cut into 2"long strips)
Beans – 1/2cup (cut into strips)
Pumpkin – 1/2cup (cut into cubes)
Parwal-(2cut into cubes )
Turai or Ridgegourd -1/2 (cut into cubes )
Tomato -1 (cut into slices)
Pachphoron -(take 1/4tsp of each Mustard seeds, Fennel seeds(Sounf) , Fenugreek seeds (methi),Cumin seeds  (jeera) and Kalonji or Nigella seeds or Kalojeera )
Jeera (Cumin Seed)- 2tsp
Turmeric Powder – 2tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2cup
Bay Leaf -2 pc
Dry Chili– 2pc
Vegetable oil – 3tbsp
Ghee or Clarified  butter -2tsp
Salt) – as per taste-


METHOD

Wash the vegetables thoroughly.
Soak the dal in water for about 1 hr.
Fry 3 tsp cumin seed and 2 pc dry chili slightly, then make a fine powder out of it, keep aside.
 Dry roast coconut and set aside.
Boil 5 cups of water in a deep pan. Add the dal, turmeric powder,chilli powder and ginger and cook it.
After 5 minutes add the vegetables to it. Add salt.
When the vegetables are half cooked add the tomato pieces.
Cook it till everything is well cooked.
Remove from gas .
Heat oil in a deep pan.
When hot add the mustard seed, cumin seed, bay leaf and dry chili..let them  splutter.
Add the onion slices, fry it till turns golden brown.
Add the boiled dal and vegetable mixture to it slowly.
Cover it and cook for 5 minutes.
Finally sprinkle the cumin chili powder mix and coconut  on it.
Remove from flame Serve hot with rice or roti.

Karela Dal or Tito Dal or Moong Dal Cooked with Karela or Bitter Gour

                                  

Karela Dal or tetor dal  is a simple bengali cuisine, This recipe belongs to the first course of a Bengali lunch.
It is also called tetor dal because the taste of  Bitter gourd  is bitter by taste, and bitter is called teto in bengali language . It is best  with white steamed rice, specially  for a hot afternoon  in summer.

 Tito Dal or Karela Dal or Moong Dal Cooked  with Karela or Bitter gourd 


Ingredients :-

• Moong Dal-1cup
• Karela -1 (cut into thin  ring pieces )
• Mustard seeds -1/2tsp
• Dry Red Chilli -2 
• Gingere or Adrak (paste )-1tsp
• Ghee-1/2tsp
• Salt to taste 
• Oil-2tbsp
• Turmeric powder -1tsp 
• Jeera or Cumin powder -1tsp

Method 

Take a bowl,add moong dal ...wash it with water very well...then soak in the water for 15 minutes.

Take a pan...add  moong  dal and water and boil till the moong dal  is boiled .you can boil dal in pressure cooker also...inthat case switch off the gas after 1 whistle...

Now take another pan,add oil, add red chilli, mustard seeds.

Add bitter gourd and fry till golden brown.

Now add the boiled moong dal ,add salt,turmeric powder, cumin or jeera powder....

If required add some water and cover for 2-3 minutes..cook on medium flame 

Remove lid... add ghee and ginger paste...cover and cook for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.