Servings
4
Ready In:
15 mins
About this Recipe
By: Paromita
Bengali Daler Bora comes in many forms, some make it with masoor dal (red lentils), some with motor dal (bengali split peas) and some with cholar dal ( yellow split peas). Every Bengali household perhaps, has it’s own distinct recipe.
I was never a fan of daler bora – till I went away from home and started missing it!
Now I can proudly say you cannot take a Bengali away from her “daler bora”. The name sounds so simple and I bet, once you go through the recipe you will agree it is easy to make as well. However, it is a recipe that carries a cook’s uniqueness with it. What I mean is, following the exact same recipe if I make it, my mom makes it or my mom-in-law makes it, the “bora” tastes distinctly different and one can easily recognize the cook by eating the “bora”. Make sense?
Daler Bora is a great, no-fuss recipe for hot summer months. It perfectly pairs with simple dal and the most favourite combination for Bengali’s is with ‘panta bhat‘. On days when you do not feel like having anything too spicy or rich, when the sun outside simply makes it difficult to enjoy any food, a basic meal of rice, dal and daler bora will make your day! It does for me every. single. time.
This particular recipe uses masoor dal and this is the one I make most of the time at home. Masoor dal is always available in a Bengali home and it is one of the quickest of many, as masoor dal takes very little soaking time.
Versions
Niramish or Vegan: Just add onion seeds, salt, and turmeric.
With ginger and garlic: The recipe here, add ginger, garlic to the mix.
With onions: Another variation is to add finely chopped onions to the mix.
INGREDIENTS
- Masoor Dal – 100 gms
- Ginger – 2 inch
- Garlic – 10r 2 cloves
- Salt – 2 tsp
- Turmeric – a pinch
- Onion seeds – 1 tsp
- Green chillis – 1 or 2
- Vegetable Oil – for frying
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Wash the dal well. Soak with 1 cup of water, ginger, garlic and green chillis.
Step 2
Soak for 2-3 hours. Grind the dal mix with enough water to make a smooth but thick paste.
Step 3
The paste should resemble cake batter, not runny. Add salt and beat well using your fingers or a spoon.
Step 4
Heat oil in a pan on medium, you do not need to deep fry, about an inch of oil is good.
Step 5
Now using your fingers (the traditional way) or a spoon add dollops of the dal mix to the hot oil,
Step 6
Fry on one side for 2 minutes, then flip and fry for another minute or 2.