Bengali Veg Food Recipe

 Bengali Dal Recipe

 

Ingredient Checklist

 

1 cup red lentils

3 cups water

1 cup onion, thinly sliced, divided

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped, divided

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 bay leaf

¾ cup cherry tomatoes

½ teaspoon salt

2 (2 inch) whole serrano chile peppers (Optional)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

 

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1

Wash the lentils in a strainer. Combine the lentils and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half of the sliced onions and garlic, reserving the rest for later. Stir in the turmeric, bay leaf, tomatoes, and salt. Add the chiles, leaving them whole to add flavor or cut in half to add heat. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils break apart and thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the reserved sliced onions; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Stir in the rest of the chopped garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Pour the contents of the skillet into the cooked lentils and stir. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Peyaj Mushuri Dal

Requires just 5 INGREDIENTS

Needs only 25 minutes

Nourishing, healthy and hearty

Pairs best with rice.

What key ingredients are needed for Peyaj Mushuri Dal?

Split red lentils

Red onion

Nigella seeds

Fresh cilantro leaves

Fresh green chili

 

How to prepare Peyaj Mushuri Dal

 Peyaj is onion and Mushuri dal is masoor dal. Steps are simple and easy to follow:

Put the washed lentil in a pan along with 2 cups of water plus ½ teaspoon salt then bring it to boil at high heat. After that let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes in medium heat.

While the lentil is still boiling, place a wok or another pan at medium heat. Pour the oil and heat it up. Scatter the nigella seeds and let it sizzle for couple seconds. Then tumble the sliced red onion to the hot oil. Sprinkle rest of the salt, turmeric and sugar. Keep stirring and cooking until the onion is golden brown.

Then pour the boiled lentils to the caramelized onion and give it a stir. If you prefer the consistency of the dal much thinner add some water. Check for salt too, if it’s not enough, sprinkle some salt.

Finally, drop the green chili (just slit it half or trim the edge) finely chopped cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve warm with rice.

The KEY POINT to remember here is to make sure you caramelize the onion for the perfect flavor and taste. 

To prepare the Peyaj Mushuri Dal in Electric Pressure Cooker:

Cook the onion in sauté mode along with nigella seeds, salt and turmeric. Then scatter the red lentil along with water and pressure-cook it until cooked. Finally, add the green chili and cilantro leaves. Serve warm.

 

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Bengali Cholar Dal Recipe

Delicious lentil dish cooked with Bengal gram or chana dal flavoured with, cloves, cumin, cinnamon and golden fried dry coconut. Serve it with steamed rice and a stir fry on the side for a comforting lunch.

Bengali Style Cholar Dal is a delicious lentil dish cooked with Bengal gram or chana dal. This dish of dal is flavored with coconut, ghee and an assortment of whole spices. Bengali Style Cholar Dal tastes mildly spicy and packed with nutrition. Once the Bengal Gram is cooked in the pressure cooker it only takes a few minutes to prepare the whole dish. 

Did you know: Chana dal is high in fiber and helps to lower cholesterol. It also has a very low glycemic index, which is important for those with diabetes. Chana dal is a helpful source of zinc, folate, calcium, protein and is low in fat content.

Serve the Bengali Cholar Dal with Begun Bhaja and steamed rice for a wholesome lunch or dinner.

Cuisine: Bengali Recipes

Course: Lunch

Diet: High Protein Vegetarian

Equipments Used: Hard Anodized Pressure Cooker

Prep in

10 M

Cooks in

30 M

Total in

40 M

Makes:

3 Servings

Ingredients

·         1 cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal) , soaked for an hour

·         1/2 cup Dry coconut (kopra) , cut into 1 inch pieces

·         1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

·         Salt , to taste

Ingredients for the seasoning

·         2 teaspoons Mustard oil

·         1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

·         2 Green Chillies , slit into halves lengthwise

·         1 inch Ginger , peeled and grated

·         3 Dry Red Chillies

·         2 Cloves (Laung)

·         1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

·         1 Bay leaf (tej patta)

How to make Bengali Cholar Dal Recipe

1.     To begin making the Bengali Cholar dal, first prep all the ingredients and keep them ready.  Soak the chana dal for about an hour in water. 

2.     Add the soaked dal with 2-1/2 Cups of water , turmeric powder, salt to taste in a pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles.

3.     After 3 to 4 whistles, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally.  

4.     In a teaspoon mustard oil over medium heat in a saucepan; add the dry coconut pieces and fry until they turn golden brown. Once done transfer the fried coconut pieces to a bow and keep aside.

5.     In the same pan heat a teaspoon of mustard oil; add cumin seeds,  dry red chilies, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green chilies and ginger.

6.     Saute for a few seconds until the seeds crackle and the green chilli gets a lightly roasted texture. 

7.     Once done, stir in the cooked Bengali Cholar dal and the roasted coconut slices.

8.     Stir well to combine and check the salt and adjust to suit your taste. Give the Bengali Cholar dal a brisk boil for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.

9.     Transfer the Bengali Cholar dal to a serving bowl and serve hot.

10. Serve the Bengali Cholar Dal with Begun Bhaja and steamed rice for a wholesome lunch or dinner.

 Narkel Naru Recipe

Narkel naru are delicious coconut ladoos from the Bengali cuisine. These narkel naru are made with fresh grated coconut and jaggery. 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Cuisine Bengali

Course Sweets

Ingredients

• ▢2 cups fresh grated coconut

• ▢1 cup organic jaggery powder or organic grated jaggery

• ▢½ teaspoon cardamom powder - optional

• ▢some ghee for greasing palms, you can also use coconut oil

 Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Instructions

• First heat a heavy kadai. Reduce the flame to a low and add 2 cups fresh grated coconut.

• Stirring often roast the coconut for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the coconut. The roasting is just to get rid of some moisture from the coconut.

• Then add 1 cup jaggery powder or grated jaggery.

• Mix it very well with the coconut.

• Stirring non-stop cook the coconut and jaggery mixture for about 6 to 7 minutes.

• The jaggery will melt and mixture will slightly thicken. Do not cook too much as then the ladoos can become hard. To test take a small portion and let it cool down a bit. Then try to form a tiny ladoo with it. If the mixture easily can be shaped into a tiny ball, the ladoo mixture is ready.

• Switch off the flame and keep the pan on the countertop.

• Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.

• Mix very well and let this mixture cool down completely.

• Spread a bit of ghee in your palms and taking small to medium sized portions make the ladoos. instead of ghee you can also use coconut oil.

• Store them in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Depending on the color of jaggery, the color of ladoos will vary from light brown to dark brown. This recipe makes about 10 ladoos.

• Serve narkel naru recipe as a sweet.

Notes

• If using regular jaggery , then make a syrup of it with very little water and then strain the syrup. Then use this jaggery syrup and add to the coconut.

• This narkel naru recipe can also be halved or doubled or tripled.

• Palm jaggery can be used instead of jaggery to make the ladoos. 

Tips to prepare perfect Narkel naru

1. Always cook the narkel naru mixture on low to medium low flame and stir it continuously.
2. Switch off the flame when the mixture gets separated from the pan.
3. Use all the ingredients when they are at room temperature.
4. Grease your hand and plate before shaping the narkel naru.
5. Shape the naru quickly when the mixture is warm.
6. Use moist khoya instead of dry khoya. It helps the mixture to get sticky.

How to make narkel naru?

To prepare narkel naru recipe, first grate the coconut. Then take the grated coconut into a pan and add measured amount of sugar into it. For 1 cup tightly packed grated coconut, I have used 2/3 cup of sugar. Then mix both the ingredients nicely with your hand and put it on the hob on low flame.

When the sugar gets dissolved completely, add soft khoya into the mixture and mix it well. It enhances the taste and texture of Chinir narkel naru recipe.

Allow the coconut mixture to get cooked until it gets separated from the pan. At this step, you need to be patient. The coconut mixture must get cooked on low to medium low flame. High heat can spoil the dish. At the final stage, add cardamom powder and mix it well. Switch off the flame immediately and transfer the mixture on a separate plate.

Allow the mixture to release some heat. Apply some ghee (clarified butter) in your hands and on the plate. Then take small portion of the warm mixture quickly and make a ball with your hand. Roll the ball in between your palm to smoothen it. Repeat the whole process and shape narkel naru with rest of the mixture.

Many Bengali sweet recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check few of them like

Rosogolla

Nolen gurer Sandesh

Kalakand

Nolen gur Rosogolla

..And Many more…

Ingredients:

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 cup grated Coconut, tightly packed
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 3 tablespoons soft Khoya
• ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
• ½ teaspoon Ghee or clarified Butter to grease hands

Instructions:

1. Take 1 cup tightly packed grated coconut into a pan.
   

2. Add 2/3 cup sugar into the pan and mix it with hand.
   
   

3. Put the pan on low flame and stir it continuously.
   
   

4. When the sugar gets dissolved completely, add khoya into the pan and mix it well.
   

5. Stir it continuously until the mixture gets separated from the pan.
   

6. Switch off the flame immediately and add cardamom powder into it. Mix it immediately.
   

7. Transfer the coconut mixture on a separate plate and allow it to release some heat.
   

8. When the mixture is warm but touchable, apply ghee in your hands and on a plate.
   

9. Take small portion of the coconut mixture in your hand and make round balls. Smoothen the body of the naru with your palms.
   
   

10. Repeat the whole process quickly till the mixture is warm and make narkel naru with rest of the mixture.
    

Serving Instruction

Serve the narkel naru recipe anytime, anywhere and enjoy the Bengali delicacy. In fact, it does not require any serving. People take it from container and have it directly.

How to store narkel naru?

Narkel naru recipe can be stored in an airtight container. You can keep it in a cool dry place for 3-4 days. You can store it for 10-11 days in refrigerator.