Authentic Bengali Dhokar Dalna with Warm Radhaballavi
Experience the rich heritage of Bengal with this exquisite lentil cake curry simmered in a spiced ginger-tomato gravy. Paired with stuffed lentil puris, it makes for a truly festive and soul-satisfying meal.
85min
Total Time
4
Servings
Bengali
Cuisine
Recipe
1
Grind the soaked chana dal and urad dal into a coarse, thick paste with minimal water.
2
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add a pinch of hing, ginger paste, and the dal paste. Sauté continuously until it forms a tight dough-like mass.
3
Transfer the mixture onto a greased plate, press it down evenly to about half-inch thickness, and let it cool completely before cutting into diamond-shaped dhokas.
4
Shallow fry the dhokas in medium-hot oil until golden brown and crisp on the edges; set aside.
5
In the same pan, fry the diced potatoes until light golden and remove them.
6
Temper the remaining oil with whole cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
7
Add the tomato puree, cumin powder, turmeric, and salt, sautéing until the oil separates from the masala.
8
Add the fried potatoes and two cups of warm water, bringing the mixture to a gentle boil until the potatoes are tender.
9
Slide in the fried dhokas, simmer for two minutes so they absorb the flavors, then finish with a drizzle of ghee and garam masala.
10
Serve hot alongside freshly prepared warm Radhaballavi breads.
Ingredients
1 cup chana dal, soaked for 4 hours
1/2 cup urad dal, soaked for 4 hours
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Oil for frying
4 warm Radhaballavi breads for serving
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.