NARKOL DIYE CHOLAR DAL

A Bengali household......A Sunday Morning.....What's for Breakfast?......enough of Potatoes!....then? A hearty meal of NARKOL DIYE CHOLAR DAL accompanied by "Luchi / Porota / Ruti" is too much of a Bengali thing. It is Bengal Gram / Chana Dal Curry with fried coconut pieces! For reasons unknown, childhood keeps on coming back these days. May be because I miss my parents, siblings, relatives......my native place..... in a whole. I miss largely my mother's cooking.....the amount of care and love she would show in selecting her daily menus and serving them before us. Love and Care are such things that flow from one generation to the other. What I got and learnt from my mother, I try to give it back to my family. I learnt from her that family is something to be taken utmost care of and be kept above our own interest. Okay, I do not go to work, I understand it is not an easy task to balance home & job! In that case, there should be a system of the sharing the task, it restores peace! Sitting useless at home I do not wish to give big talks, but it gets clear who how much consider one's home important & loving!

This particular lentil curry goes best with "luchi, porota, ruti." You can also have it with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS :

Chana Dal (Bengal Gram Lentil) : 100 gm.
Coconut (shredded or small cut) : 2-3tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Sugar : 1tsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Bay Leaf : 1
Dry Whole Red Chilli : 2
Green Chilli : 2
Oil (Mustard preferably) : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash, soak the Chana dal for atleast 2-3 hours in hot water. You can pressure cook dal with enough water up to 1whistle at lowest heat. It is better to boil it in a heavy bottomed vessel!

Cut coconut into small pieces or you may shred it. Keep all the spices ready in hand. Slit the green chillies.

Heat oil in wok. Temper with cumin seeds, dry red chillies each halved and the bay leaf. Add coconut pieces, fry till light brown. Add ginger paste. Stir for 2 minutes.

Add cumin powder, salt, turmeric. Keep stirring until oil separates from spices.

Pour in boiled dal. Pour in one coffee mug of water. Give a stir. Cover, let it boil for 5 minutes at medium heat.

Remove cover. Add slitted green chillies, sugar. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off gas stove, its done.

 Enjoy it hot with luchi / poori / porota / parathas!