Guide to making Bengali Tok Dal or red lentils
A sweet and sour dal or lentil cooked using green mangoes
Tok (sour) dal is our favourite thing about summer. We like it to be as sour as it is sweet, but you can adjust the sweetness to taste, and according to the sourness of the mangoes you are using. This dal is most commonly made with masur dal (red lentils) but as a variation matar dal (split yellow peas) can be used.
Serves: 3 to 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
50 gms (¼ cup) matar dal (split yellow pea)
50 gms (½ a medium-sized) kacha aam (green mango)
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 pc dried red chilli
1 pc green chilli
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp turmeric
6 gms (1 tsp) salt
20g (5 tsp) sugar
Equipments required
Kadhai/wok, stirring spoon
This dal is often also made with masoor dal (orange lentils). If you can’t easily find matar dal, subtitute it for masoor dal. It is as sweet as it is sour. The balance between the two flavours is, therefore, key. So adjust the sugar based on the tartness of your mangoes.
In our family, we like to eat this dal slightly cool or at room temperature, never piping hot.
Method
1. Wash and rinse the dal, and soak it in water for two hours.
2. Boil it in a saucepan or pressure cooker until softened. Gently whisk it for a few seconds to even out the consistency, so that the water and dal are not distinct from one another.
3. Peel and cut the green mango in wedges.
4. Heat mustard oil in a pan. Temper it with dried red chilli and mustard seeds.
5. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the green mango and green chilli.
6. Fry, covered, on low heat until the mangoes soften slightly. Half-way through, add salt and turmeric.
7. Pour the dal into the mangoes. Add sugar.
Allow everything to boil together until the tangy taste of the mango has flavoured the dal. If the mangoes are not too sour, you can mash a couple of pieces into the dal to enhance the flavour.
Serve with rice, fries, and vegetable preperations or panta bhaat (fermented rice)
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