Moog Dal

Required

Fried moog-dal 1/2 seer, ghee 1 chhatak, turmeric 1/2 tola, pepper with cumin seeds 1/2 tola, coriander 1/2 tola, a few cassia leaves, red chillies 3 or 4, salt 1 1/4 tola, sugar 1 tola, water 1 seer, and panch-foron 1 pinch.

Method

Entire moog pulses are generally heated in a pot for a few minutes and then they are grinded and husked. These are called fried moog-dal. This makes the dal more tasteful. Such process may be applied to other pulses also but this is generally done only in the case of moog pulses. Raw or unfried moog dal which are called in Bengali "Kancha moog-dal" are also taken with relish.

Heat water in a pan. Wash the moog-dal thoroughly and add them in the water when it boils. Put the lid on keeping a small opening. Clear off the scum formed on the surface from time to time throughout the entire run. Add the powdered turmeric and the sugar when the pulses are soft. Add the pepper with cumin and the coriander, all pasted or powdered, when the pulses melt. Add salt and then take the pot down from the oven.

Take the ghee in another pan and heat with the cassia leaves, red chillies broken in pieces, and the panch-foron. Pour the boiled liquid dal when the red chillies turn black. Care should be taken that the hot liquid may not splutter off the pan and injure the cook. Boil it for a few minutes more and take down This is a simple preparation of moog-dal.

Moog-Dal (Alternative)

Required

Fried moog-dal 1/2 seer, ghee 1 powa, pepper with cumin 1/2 tola, coriander 1/2 tola, cloves 1/4 tola, ginger 1 tola, saffron 1/2 tola, turmeric 1/4 tola, salt I tola, panch-foron 1 pinch, a few cassia leaves, water 1/4 seer.

Method

Make separate pastes or powders of the mixture of pepper and cumin, coriander, ginger and turmeric. Dissolve the salt and turmeric in the water. Take half the ghee in a pan and heat with half the cloves. Add the moog-dal, washed and dried, when the smell comes out, and stir. After frying for a few minutes add the water with turmeric and salt. After boiling for about 5 minutes add the juice of the ginger, ether pasted or powdered spices, and saffron dissolved in a little water. Stir for a while and put the lid on. Take the pan down after a short time.

Heat the rest of the ghee in another pan with the rest of the cloves, the panch-foron and a few cassia leaves. Pour in the boiled dal when the smell comes out. Boil till the dal is thick. Extra water may be added wherever necessary. The preparation usually takes about 20 minutes.

The dal should not be melted in this preparation. They should be well boiled but at the same time they should remain entire. This is a delicate and tasteful preparation.

Chhola Or Chana (Gram)

Required

Chhola-dal 1/2 seer, ghee 1 powa, coriander 1 tola, pepper 1/2 tola, cumin 1/2 tola, turmeric 1/2 tola, ginger 1/2 tola, sugar 1/2 tola, salt 1 tola, cloves 1/2 tola, cardamom 1/2 tola, cinnamon 1/4 tola, a few cassia leaves and red chillies, panch-foron 1 pinch, water 1/4 seer, a handful of chhatoo of grams.

Method

Heat half the ghee in a pan and when the bubbles die out add a few red chillies broken in two, ginger and half the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, all of them ground. Stir for about a minute and add the dal, washed and dried, in it. After frying for about 5 minutes add the specified amount of hot water. Add the sugar, half the cassia leaves and powdered or pasted turmeric, coriander, pepper and cumin when the pulses are half boiled If the water becomes unmanageable some of it may be taken out to be added later on. Add salt and the chhatoo when the pulses are fully boiled. Always take care that the pulses do not melt.

Heat the rest of the ghee in another pot with the panch-foron and the rest of the cassia leaves, cloves, cinnamons and the seeds of the cardamoms, all entire. When the smell of the spices comes out add the ghee in the boiling dal. Stir the dal for a few minutes and take down when it is moderately thick. This is a very tasteful preparation and it is served in nearly all the feasts given by Bengalees.

This becomes more tasteful if fried lobsters are added when the dal begins to boil. The lobsters are to be fried with oil after removing all the crusts excepting only those covering the brains and smearing them with powdered or pasted turmeric and salt. Pasted onions may also be added along with turmeric and salt in frying the lobsters. Fried onions may be added with fried lobsters instead of frying the latter with pasted onions.