AI-generated image
Mashkalai dal
Split black gram dal
মাষকলাই ডাল (mashkalai dal): Rajshahi split black gram with ginger, finished with crisp fried onion and garlic
In Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, in the far west of Bangladesh, mashkalai dal is eaten with thick kalai ruti flatbreads and a fiery bhorta, especially on winter mornings and evenings. Split black gram is cooked until creamy and slightly sticky, flavoured with ginger, then crowned with onion and garlic fried crisp in mustard oil. It is filling and earthy with a gentle heat. The usual mistake is boiling it too hard: mashkalai foams over and catches, so keep the lid ajar and the heat low. Chef's tip: fry the onion and garlic separately and add them just before serving, so they stay crisp on top of the dal.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz split black gram (mashkalai / urad dal with skin)rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
- 4 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 1 tsp salt
For the tempering
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the 7 oz split black gram (mashkalai / urad dal with skin) and put it in a heavy pot with 4 ½ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and half the 1 tbsp fresh ginger. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.
8 minStep 2: Lower the heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the grains are completely soft and the dal is thick and creamy. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
33 minStep 3: Stir in the rest of the 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 3 green chillies and 1 tsp salt and simmer 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: In a frying pan, heat 3 tbsp mustard oil over a medium heat until shimmering. Fry 2 onions for 8 minutes until golden, then add 6 cloves garlic and 2 dried red chillies and fry for 2 minutes more until crisp and golden; do not let the garlic go dark brown.
10 minStep 5: Pour the onion, garlic and oil over the dal, scatter over 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with flatbread or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mashkalai dal take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Indian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.