Bengali Dhokar Dalna
An exquisite vegetarian delicacy from Bengal featuring crisp lentil cakes simmered in a rich, aromatic ginger-cumin gravy. This traditional masterpiece transforms simple chana dal into a melt-in-the-mouth comfort food.
70min
Total Time
4
Servings
Bengali
Cuisine
Recipe
1
Drain the soaked chana dal and grind it coarsely with ginger, green chilies, and a pinch of salt without adding much water.
2
Spread the ground dal paste onto a greased plate and steam it for 12 to 15 minutes until set.
3
Once cooled, cut the steamed dal into diamond-shaped pieces or dhokas.
4
Shallow fry the dhokas in mustard oil until golden and crisp, then set them aside.
5
In the same pan, temper mustard oil with cumin seeds and bay leaves, then add the tomato puree, cumin powder, turmeric, and chili powder, sautéing until oil separates.
6
Add the fried potato cubes and warm water, bringing the gravy to a gentle boil until potatoes are tender.
7
Slip in the fried dhokas, simmer for two minutes so they absorb the flavors, and finish with a drizzle of ghee and garam masala.
Ingredients
1 cup chana dal, soaked for 4 hours
1 inch ginger, grated
2 green chilies
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 potato, cubed and fried
1 tomato, pureed
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon ghee
Mustard oil for cooking
Salt to taste
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.