A Bengali meal without dal is almost as incomplete as a sundae without a topping. Dal, is the vegetarian source of protein. Be it the breakfast cholar dal with hot and fluffy luchis or the wholesome warm masoor dal with white rice, living without dal is hard.
Over the years I have posted a lot of recipes with dal, you can dig in to my Recipes page to find all the recipes. Today’s post is about the most sought after dals in Bengali cuisine.
Cholar Dal – This Bengal gram preparation is the king of all dals, it is best tasted with warm fluffy luchis or if you may there is always the option to dig in with bhaat and beguni.
Plain Masoor Dal – While cholar dal is the most sought after, but when it comes to daily options for dal, nobody can beat the simple yet tasty masoor dal. Masoor dal can be cooked in a lot of ways with onions, without onions, and depending on the whole spices you use, you will have a very different taste to this very simple lentil. Scroll down for more on red lentils.
Moong Dal – Unlike red lentil the yellow split beans are much richer and is prepared mostly for special occasions, a Sunday lunch or may be a family get together. Moong dal is mostly cooked without using onions or garlic. Though I am always a bit biased with moong dal cooked with fish heads .
Tetor Dal – Come summer as the heat spikes to that sweaty temperatures, all the moms have one solution, eat loads of bitter gourd. The best way to get those in your plate is using the dal.
Mango Dal – While talking about dal, we cannot leave out the happiness of mixing the king of fruits, mangoes with dal. The slight tangy taste of green mangoes in the early summer elevates the taste of dal during lunch time.
While there are a varied number of lentils that makes the Bengali diet, matar, kalai and many more, here’s my take on my five favorite dals. Hope you enjoyed the post and comment below on which is your favorite dal.
I read a lot of blog posts!! This is great content work.