Niramish Cholar Dal is a classic Bengali dish made from split Bengal gram. Once cooked, it's flavored and tempered, then topped with crispy fried coconut pieces. This signature Bengalidelicacy is often enjoyed with Luchi or Porota, two of Bengal's most beloved flatbreads. It's a traditional Dal recipe from Bengali cuisine that contains no onion or garlic. In this recipe, we'll learn how to prepare a perfect Niramish Cholar Dal.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note
- Bengali Veg food without onion and garlic - Good old Bengali Niramish Khabar
- Bengali Cholar Dal - what makes it special?
- Watch how to make Bengali Cholar Dal
- Ingredients to cook Cholar Dal
- Bengali Niramish Cholar Dal Narkel Diye - Recipe Steps
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top tip
- Frequently Asked Question
- Bengali Cholar Dal Detailed Recipe
- Recipe Card
- Related Recipes
- Pairing Bengali Cholar Dal
- No-onion no-garlic Bengali Recipes
- Have you tried the Bengali Cholar Dal recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Bengali Narkel Diye Cholar Dal Pin for your Pinterest Board!
Debjani's Note
The day before yesterday, Maa called and asked whether I remembered that the next day was Nil Shoshthi or not! That one question from my mother was enough to make me worried. I had completely forgotten about it, which was not an uncommon occurrence for me. I am infamous for my tendency to forget about days meant for following certain religious customs such as eating vegetarian food. Nil Shoshthi was no exception. I'm not particularly religious, so I'm not too concerned about such things. But my mother is always there to remind me of such special days, whether I want to be reminded or not.
I was all set to embark on my journey from home to the office when I suddenly realized that there wasn't any vegetarian food prepared for lunch. Quickly I asked my 'Rannar Didi' (the cook) to make Egg Curry and Rice for Pasta's lunch. I decided to cook a typical Bengali vegetarian spread for dinner. Narkel diye Cholar Dal, Dantiwala Begun Bhaja (fried aubergine), Luchi, and Rosogolla were what I cooked. The aroma of the freshly cooked food spread through the house, and the thought of a hearty meal filled me with joy.
Bengali Veg food without onion and garlic - Good old Bengali Niramish Khabar
Cooking vegetarian food, especially no-onion no-garlic dishes, is always a challenge for me. While I can whip up a comforting non-vegetarian dish in no time, it takes me much longer to prepare vegetarian dishes. I always felt that I could never match the cooking skills of my grandmother (Dida) and aunt (Mammam), who were adept at preparing vegetarian dishes.
One of the vegetarian dishes that both Dida and Mammam used to make with great finesse is Narkel diye Cholar Dal or Bengali Cholar Dal. This dish is a staple of Bengali cuisine and is a combination of yellow split chickpeas, coconut, and aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. The two ladies used to cook it to perfection every time. The dish is a great accompaniment to steamed rice and is sure to be a hit with all vegans and vegetarians alike.
Bengali Cholar Dal - what makes it special?
The smell of Ghee, a little mussy along with several intact lentils (read Bengal Gram); fried coconut, and properly cooked Raisin, and the light aroma of Asafoetida; Cholar Dal is pure bliss. It transports me back to my childhood when my Mammam and Dida used to make this delectable dish. The cooking process was the same in both houses; Mammam used to add a bit more Ghee and some extra spices to make the Cholar Dal richer, while Dida would keep the spices to a minimum, allowing the subtle flavors of the Bengal Gram, coconut, and Raisin to shine through.
Watch how to make Bengali Cholar Dal
Ingredients to cook Cholar Dal
- Cholar Dal / Split Bengal Gram
- Coconut
- Cashew Nut
- Raisin
- Ghee
- Mustard Oil
- Ginger Paste
- Turmeric Powder
- Asafoetida
- Cumin Powder
- Dry-roasted Cumin Powder
- Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- Red Chili Powder (optional)
- Salt
- Sugar
- Dry Red Chili
- Bay Leaf
- Black Cardamom
- Green Cardamom
- Cumin Seed
See the recipe card for quantities.
Bengali Niramish Cholar Dal Narkel Diye - Recipe Steps
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Slice half of the coconut into small pieces and grind the rest into a paste.
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Wash the Cholar Dal under running water.
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Put the washed Dal, along with one teaspoon each of turmeric powder and salt, into a pressure cooker. Add four cups of water and secure the lid with the vent weight. Cook on high heat until pressure builds, then lower the flame and continue cooking until two whistles are heard. Turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to fully release before opening the lid.
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Next, heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry the coconut pieces.
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Now fry Cashew Nuts and Raisins and strain both.
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Temper the oil and ghee with dry red chili, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, green cardamom, and cumin seeds.
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Add asafoetida and stir well.
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Now, add half of the ghee and mix.
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Add ginger paste and cook on low heat. Stir in two tablespoons of water and continue cooking until the oil separates from the mixture.
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Then, add the remaining turmeric powder, red chili powder, half of the cumin powder, half of the Garam masala powder, and sugar. Mix everything thoroughly.
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Finally, add the coconut paste (or scraped coconut) and cook until oil begins to release from the edges of the mixture.
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Then, add the boiled dal, fried coconut, cashew nuts, and raisins, setting aside a small amount for garnish.
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Adjust the salt, cover the pan, and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.
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Finish the dish by stirring in the remaining ghee and garam masala powder, along with the dry-roasted cumin powder.
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Serve the Narkel Diye Cholar Daal hot with Luchi!
Substitutions
- Mustard Oil - instead of Mustard Oil, you can use only ghee or vegetable oil
- Vegan - Skip Ghee to make Bengali cholar dal vegan; replace sugar with coconut sugar
Variations
- Sweet - In many households, Cholar Daal is served a bit on the sweeter side. If you prefer that, add another tbsp. of sugar
- Deluxe - Cook the Bengali Cholar Daal only in Ghee instead of using Oil
- Spicy - add a few green chilies or increase the red chili powder to make Bengali Cholar Daal spicy.
Equipment
If you have time on hand, you can use a heavy-duty vessel to boil the lentils. I use a pressure cooker for this step. Apart from that, you just need a Kadhai and a spatula. By the way, I prefer using an iron kadhai. It enhances the color of the cooked Daal!
Storage
You can boil the Bengal Gram beforehand and store it in the refrigerator to make the dal in a day or two! The cooked dal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for around 2 days.
Top tip
Be generous with Sugar while cooking Cholar Daal. Also, try not to skip the dry fruits and coconut. Last but not least, make some luchi while cooking this Bengali dal.
Frequently Asked Question
It is known as Bengal Gram (split) in English and Chana Dal in Hindi.
Bengali Cholar Dal Detailed Recipe
Recipe Card
Narkel diye Cholar Dal recipe | Bengali Cholar Daal
Ingredients
- 150 g Cholar Dal / Split Bengal Gram 1 cup
- 1 Coconut
- 25 g Cashew Nut
- 25 g Raisin
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 3 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
Spices:
- 2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dry-roasted Cumin Powder / Bhaja Moshla
- 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder optional
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
Tempering:
- 3 Dry Red Chili
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 5 Green Cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seed
Instructions
- Preparation
- Cut small slices of half of the coconut and make a paste of the remaining.
- Wash Cholar Dal under running water.
- Take washed Dal along with 1 teaspoon each of Turmeric Powder and salt in a pressure cooker.
- Add 4 cups of water and cover the Cooker with the lid with the vent weight on.
- Cook over the high flame until the pressure builds, and then reduce the flame and cook till 2 whistles come out.
- Switch the flame off and open the lid when the pressure drops completely.
Cooking the Dal
- Now, take a pan and heat the Mustard Oil.
- Fry coconut chunks, cashew nuts, and raisins one by one.
- Temper the oil-ghee with Dry Red Chili, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom, and also Cumin Seed.
- Now add Asafoetida and mix.
- Now add ½ of the Ghee and mix.
- Add Ginger paste and cook on a low flame.
- Add 2 tablespoon of water and keep cooking till the oil comes out of the mixture.
- Now add the rest of the turmeric powder, red chili powder, ½ of the cumin powder, ½ of the Garam masala powder, and also sugar
- Mix thoroughly.
- Add the coconut paste (you can use scraped coconut as well).
- Cook till the mixture releases oil from the edges.
- Add cooked Dal along with the water.
- Now add fried coconut, cashew nuts, and Raisins.
- You may keep a little for garnishing.
- Adjust the salt and cover the pan, cook for around 5 minutes on a low flame.
- Finish the dal with the rest of the Ghee and Garam Masala Powder.
- Add dry-roasted cumin powder and mix it.
Serving Suggestion
- Serve Narkel Diye Cholar Daal hot with Luchi!
Video
Notes
- Red Chili Powder is optional.
- You may skip the Ghee to make a lower-calorie version.
- Instead of a Pressure cooker, Bengali Cholar Dal can be cooked in a pan; however, this may result in an extra cooking time.
Nutrition
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing Bengali Cholar Dal
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Narkel diye Cholar Daal -
No-onion no-garlic Bengali Recipes
- Sada Aloo Chorchori (also known as Bengali aloo chorchori)
- Panch Mishali Tarkari (Also known as Bengali Mix veg)
- Kumror Chakka (also known as Bengali Pumpkin curry)
- Narkel diye Niramish Ghugni (Also known as Bengali Yellow Pea Curry)
- Katoya Data Chorchori (Also known as Bengali Drumstick mishmash)
- Natun Aloor Dum (Also known as Niramish Alur Dum)
- Papor er Dalna (Also known as Papad curry)
- Kochu Saag er Ghonto (Also known as Mashed Taro Leaves Curry)
- Rosogollar Dalna (Also known as Bengali Rasgulla Curry)
- Tok Dal (Also known as Kancha Aam diye Toker Dal)
- Bori Aloor Jhal (Also known as Bengali Bori'r Jhal)
- Lau Shaker Chorchori (Also known as Bengali Vegetarian Mishmash with Bottle Gourd Greens)
Have you tried the Bengali Cholar Dal recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Bengali Narkel Diye Cholar Dal Pin for your Pinterest Board!
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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