Luchi & Chholar daal (Bengali style Chana Daal with Maida Poori)

This is a part of the series ……. For the Chef in u

Contributed by YUMMRAJ’s favourite Chef ANONYMOUS

Super easy to make & Super good to eat……………

Luchi & Chholar Daal is a typical Bengali traditional breakfast.

Luchi & Chholar Daal

Soak a cup of Chana daal (Chholar daal) for one hour. Add salt & turmeric & boil it in an open vessel till just done. Do not overcook it / do not pressure cook.

Boiled Chholar (Chana) Daal

Heat 2 tablespoon of Cow milk Ghee (clarified butter made from cow milk) & lightly fry  chopped coconuts, cashewnuts & raisins as shown in the picture.

sliced coconuts, cashew & raisins fried in ghee

Drain & keep aside.

Mix together ginger paste (1 teaspoon), Haldi / Turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon), Jeera / Cumin powder (1 teaspoon) & Red chilli powder to taste (I use 1/2 tea spoon). Add 2 teaspoon water to dilute the paste a bit & mix well.

the fried spices post addition of water

In the remaining Ghee (after frying the coconut, cashew etc), add ½ teaspoon whole jeera (cumin seed). Add the above-mentioned paste once the cumin seeds start crackling. Fry the mixture continuously till the ghee separates.

Add the boiled daal & mix well – Do the mixing lightly to make sure the daal does not get mashed.

The Daal mixed with the cooked spices

 Add salt to taste & 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix again. Add the fried coconut, cashews & raisins. Adjust seasoning.

Almost done - just before mixing the garam masala

Add ½ teaspoon Garam masala paste & u r ready with ur Chholar daal.

For Luchi, take 2 ups of Maida (refined flour). Add ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon refined oil / Ghee (clarified butter) & mix well. Knead it into a stiff dough using lukewarm water. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

The dough

Make lemon sized balls out of the dough.

Lemon sized maida balls ready to be made into a luchi

Roll these out into discs of approx. 3 inches diameter.

the maida flattened to a luchi

Heat oil in a kadhai (wok). Slide in a disk & deep fry till puffed. Do not let it brown.

The final stage - Frying the luchi

Serve freshly made Luchi & hot Chholar daal & enjoy a Bengali Classic Breakfast.

4 thoughts on “Luchi & Chholar daal (Bengali style Chana Daal with Maida Poori)

  1. Super easy???? Making the dough and kneading it is the toughest thing ever for me… Eat Yummraj, eat… slightly envious of the fact that you have a favourite Chef ANONYMOUS to cook all these delicious food for you…

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