Masoor Dal Bhorta /Bharta (Mashed Red Lentils - Bengali / Bangladeshi style)

 

          Masoor Dal Bhorta is a simple and an easy Bong / Bangladeshi homemade delicacy with an amazing yummy flavor. It is nothing but boiled and mashed red lentils, mixed with fried onion, garlic, dry red chilies and a handful of chopped coriander leaves. It is generally enjoyed with hot steamed rice or panta bhaat (fermented rice). 

     This is a great comfort food and if having with hot steamed rice, a drizzle of some raw mustard oil makes this dish pure divine. This dish has very few ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen so it can be made in a jiffy. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing recipe.

          This traditional dish is almost a lost recipe now and has its origin in the rural parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh where it is very popular. This recipe has a nice garlic flavor and the addition of raw mustard oil and lime juice gives a great punch to the dish.

           You need to savor it to believe how this easy to prepare dish can be so yummy and amazing. So when you are looking for something simple, go ahead and try this comforting and soulful dish of Masoor Dal Bhorta. 

• 1/2 cup masoor dal (Red lentils), soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 cup water
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 4 dry red chilies
• 2 onion, sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. lime juice

         In a pan, transfer the soaked dal, water, green chilies and 1 tbsp. mustard oil. Cover and simmer till it is almost cooked.

         Now add 1/2 tsp. salt and continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed. Keep aside. 

         Heat remaining oil and sauté the dry red chilies and garlic till they turn brown in color. Set aside. 

          In the same oil, stir fry one sliced onion till golden brown in color. Set this also aside and allow it to cool down slightly.

          Now add 1/4 tsps. salt and mash them well with your fingers. 

          Add the cooked masoor dal till and combine everything well. 

          Add remaining sliced onion, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice and the oil in which the onion was fried. Mix everything well. 

          Form them into balls. Enjoy with steamed rice and onion, green chilies and extra lime juice as accompaniment. 

         

In a pan, transfer the soaked dal, water, green chilies & 1 tbsp. mustard oil. Cover & simmer till it is almost cooked.

                      Now add the salt & continue to cook....

                     ....till all the water has been absorbed. Keep aside. 

Heat remaining oil  sauté dry red chilies & garlic till brown in color. Set aside. 

In the same oil, stir fry one sliced onion till golden brown in color. Set this also aside and allow it to cool down slightly.

         

                           Now add 1/4 tsps. salt. 

                      Mash them well with your fingers. 

                Add the cooked masoor dal till & combine everything well. 

Add remaining sliced onion, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice  the oil in which the onion was fried. 

         

                          Mix everything well.

                      Form them into balls. 

Enjoy with steamed rice and onion, green chilies and extra lime juice as accompaniment. 

         

Tomato Masoor Dal (Red Lentils & Tomato Curry - Bong style)

 

           Here is a simple and a nutritious Tomato Masoor Dal cooked in a Bengali style. It includes in the everyday menu of any Bengali household. I love to have it along with some aloo bhaja (fried potato strips) or some fried papad for a comfort meal. 

          Very few basic ingredients are needed to dish out this yummy lentil curry. The addition of ghee as a garnish gives this lentil curry a very good flavor. If had with a dash of lime, gives a very refreshing touch to this dish. You can also make this dal with or without tomatoes. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional dish.

• 1/3 cup masoor dal (Red Lentils), soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 green chilies 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. Add salt and turmeric and give it a whisk.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies. Allow it to splutter.

          Add the onion and sauté till light brown.

          Now add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till it is mashed up. 

          Add the boiled dal and green chilies. Simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          When done, add coriander leaves and ghee. Mix well. 

          Serve with hot steamed rice and papad / fried potato strips as an accompaniment for a great comfort meal. 

  Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. 

               Add salt and turmeric and give it a whisk.

Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds & dry red chilies. Allow it to splutter.

                  Add the onion and sauté till light brown.

      Now add the chopped tomatoes & sauté till it is mashed up. 

   

Add the boiled dal & green chilies. Simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

                 When done, add coriander leaves 

                     and ghee. Mix well. 

 

               Serve with hot steamed rice & papad / fried potato strips as an                                           accompaniment for a great comfort meal. 

Amloki Dal (Amla / Gooseberry Lentil Curry - Bong style)

 

           Here is a simple no-frills dal cooked in a Bengali style. It has a tempering of just some mustard seeds and dry red chilies for a smoky flavor. Add a tsp. of ghee to the end product to enhance the taste. It is a great comfort food and tastes absolutely great with hot steamed rice, papad or some aloo bhaja (fried potatoes) as an accompaniment. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing regional recipe.

           

          It is no secret that Amloki (Gooseberries / Amla) has a very wide range of benefits. To name a few, they are a very rich source of vitamin C, fibre, iron and zinc. They are equally good for our hair / scalp, heart, controls blood sugar and is also good for our stomach. 

• 1/3 cup masoor dal (red lentil), soaked for 30 minutes
• 3-4 amlas (gooseberries), chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies, broken
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. ghee

          

           Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it a whisk.

           Add turmeric powder and the chopped amlas and again pressure cook for a further 2 whistles. Mix everything well.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the red chilies and mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

          Now add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup water and salt. Simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame. 

          When done, add the ghee and serve with hot steamed rice and some papad / fried potatoes for a great comfort meal. 

Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it a whisk.

Add turmeric powder and the chopped amlas and again pressure cook for a further 2 whistles. 

                   Mix everything well.

Heat oil in a pan & temper with the red chilies & mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. 

Add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup & salt. Simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame. 

                   When done, add the ghee and give it a stir. 

Serve with hot steamed rice & some papad / fried potatoes for a great comfort meal. 

Thankuni Pata diye Musurir Dal (Centella Leaves cooked with Red Lentils - Bong style)

      

           This is an extremely simple and a nutritious Bong style dal cooked along with Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves). So if you happen to come across this plant, which has small round shaped leaves, then pluck out the leaves and prepare this traditional & a healthy Bong recipe which is typically served with hot steamed rice. Masoor Dal or Red lentils are used for this recipe. However, you may substitute it with split moong dal too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing regional lentil recipe.

         

              Thankuni Pata, as it is known in the Bengali lingo or Centella leaves have some medicinal properties that are very healthy for us. It is not much popular though it is quite relished in the North Eastern regions, especially West Bengal and countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to name a few. 

               This is an age old grandmothers recipe and almost a forgotten one. One does not get to see such homemade recipes these days. It is purely a homemade recipe, not found in any restaurants. These leaves can also be made into delectable pakoras or can be enjoyed as salads, stir fries, juice or chutneys.

• 1/2 cup masoor dal, soaked for 2-3 hours, washed well & rinsed 
• handful of Thankuni pata (centella leaves), chopped
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. panch phoron
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

          Pressure cook the soaked dal along with 1 cup water for 2-3 whistles. Give it a whisk.

         Transfer it to a pan along with the chopped greens, salt, turmeric powder, slit green chilies and required quantity of water. Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

         Heat oil in a pan and temper with panch phoron, dry red chili and bay leaf. 

         After it stops spluttering, add the onion and garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

         Now add the cooked dal and simmer for 1-2 minutes. When done, drizzle some raw mustard oil if you wish.            

         Enjoy this healthy & nutritious dal with hot steamed rice. Accompany it with aloo fry or papad for a comforting meal.  

                         Take a handful of Thankuni Pata.

                          Chop them finely.

 Pressure cook the soaked dal & 1 cup water for 2-3 whistles. Give it a whisk.

Transfer it to a pan along with the chopped greens, salt, turmeric powder, slit green chilies & required quantity of water. Simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

 Heat oil in a pan & temper with panch phoron, dry red chili & bay leaf. 

 After it stops spluttering, add the onion  garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

Now add the cooked dal & simmer for 1-2 minutes. When done, drizzle some raw mustard oil if you wish.

                 Enjoy this healthy & nutritious dal with hot steamed rice.