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Mezbani dal
মেজবানি ডাল (mezbani dal): Chittagong feast lentils cooked with beef bones, fat and a little meat
At a Chittagong mezban, a community feast given for a death anniversary, a wedding or simply as a gift to the neighbourhood, the beef curry gets the glory but the second big pot is just as anticipated: a thin, savoury dal cooked with the bones, fat and scraps from the same cattle. Ladled over rice alongside the beef, it carries the meat's flavour into every mouthful and softens the heat. The dal itself is a mix of split chickpea and moong, simmered with the bones until it breaks down, then finished with a frying of onion, garlic and the same spices as the beef. A frequent mistake is making it too thick; a proper mezbani dal pours easily over rice. Chef's tip: roast the moong dal in a dry pan for a few minutes until it smells nutty before you add it, which gives the deep, toasty flavour of the feast pots.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dal
- 1 ⅓ lb beef bones with marrow and some meatcut into pieces
- 5 ½ oz chana dal (split chickpeas)rinsed and soaked 1 hour
- 3 ½ oz moong dalrinsed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 8 ¼ cups water
For the tempering
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlicsliced
- 4 green chilliesslit
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toast 3 ½ oz moong dal in a dry pan over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns pale gold; rinse it.
5 minStep 2: Put 1 ⅓ lb beef bones with marrow and some meat and 7 oz beef with fat, small pieces in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp ginger paste and 1 tbsp garlic paste. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes.
45 minStep 3: Drain 5 ½ oz chana dal (split chickpeas) and add it with the moong dal and 2 tsp salt; simmer, partly covered, for 40–45 minutes, stirring now and then, until the dal is completely soft and the meat is tender. Whisk to break up the dal, keeping it pourable.
45 minStep 4: For the tempering, heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a pan over a medium-high heat and fry 2 onions for 8–10 minutes until deep golden.
10 minStep 5: Add 6 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves and 3 dried red chillies and fry for 1 minute until the garlic is golden.
2 minStep 6: Stir in 2 tsp ground mixture of cumin, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, mace and cardamom, then pour the whole tempering into the dal with 4 green chillies.
2 minStep 7: Simmer for 10 minutes so the flavours meld, adding hot water if it thickens beyond a pouring consistency. Serve with rice and mezbani beef.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mezbani dal take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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