Summer Special Recipes with Green Mango: কাঁচা আম ডাল | Kacha Aam Dal or Toker Dal. There is only one thing that makes me wait for summer, and that is mango. Green and ripe, both are awaited with bated breath in my household. The first one to reach the markets is always the green mango, which makes delicious chutneys and a special Bengali sour dal known as toker dal or kacha aam dal.
The nomenclature here needs a little bit of explanation. ‘Tok‘ means sour in Bangla; hence, Toker Daal means sour dal. The sour taste essentially comes from the unripened, tangy green mango. Among the various lentil recipes, this green mango recipe is a staple in every Bengali household during the summer months in India.
Torko Bitorko On Toker Dal
I know many who swear by the Masoor Dal or red lentil recipes of Toker Dal, but few prefer other varieties of lentils as well. Purists would always settle for ‘Motor Dal‘, i.e., the split pea lentil, while some would stick to Arhar Dal or Toor Daal or split Pigeon Pea Lentil for a Toker Dal recipe.
Let’s settle this discussion forever here with this statement: all three of them go exceptionally well with the vegan lentil recipes of Toker Dal. While Masur Dal is very easy to cook and does not need much effort, Arhar Dal and Motor Dal have a distinctive taste of their own which makes this dish unique, respectively.
Another debate is on whether Panchphoron/Bengali 5 Spice Mix or Sorse/Mustard Seeds should be used to temper the dal. I have tried both, and I find both distinctively good. Panchphoron gives a unique smokey flavour due to its spice components like methi or fenugreek seeds and rai or black mustard seeds. A point to note here is the distinction between normal mustard seeds or sarson and black mustard seeds or rai. While the former is also black and round in appearance, the latter is much smaller in size and has a distinctive flavour of its own.
Ingredients for kacha aam diye toker dal recipe
- Masoor Dal or Red Lentils
- Green Mango – Small Size
- Panchphoron – Bengali five-spice mix
- Dried Red Chilli
- Bay Leaf
- Water
- Mustard Oil
- Salt to Taste
- Turmeric Powder
- Sugar
Instructions to make musur dal diye kacha aam dal in Bengali style
- Pressure cook the red lentils with water and salt till they are soft and mushy
- Peel the green mango and chop it into small cubes. Please bear in mind that every mango has a different level of sour taste. So, if it is too sour, then hold some of it back from this recipe. We need the dal to be sufficiently tangy, along with sweet, with a little bit of heat
- Heat oil in a pan and temper it with phoron, bay leaf and red chilli
- Add the chopped green mango and fry it along with the turmeric powder
- Once they turn golden, add the pressure-cooked masoor dal
- Stir and add water, if required. Add the sugar; again, use your judgement. Sugar should balance the sharp tang of the mango but should not make the dal overly sweet.
- Check for seasoning and add salt if required. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, till the mango pieces become soft and tender.
Looking for Bengali veg food recipes online?
You might be surprised to know that Bengali food is just not about Mach’er Jhol and Pantha’r Mangsho! We have a vast collection of vegetarian recipes, most of which are vegan as well. Also, bear in mind that the concept of ‘niramish’ or vegetarian means no onion and no garlic for us.
So, if you are looking for some, then simply check out the ‘Vegetarian Recipes’ section. You would find plenty of Bengali veg food recipes there.
By the way, do you know we have a Niramish Mangsho recipe? That translates into ‘vegetarian’ mutton curry. How cool is that?
More kacha aam recipes
More Bengali dal recipes
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Toker Daal means sour dal. In kacha aam dal, musur dal or red lentils is cooked with green mangoes and panchphoron. A very popular Bengali dal recipe during summer, it is served with rice and a side of veggies.
- 1/4 cup Masoor Dal or Red Lentils
- 1 Green Mango Small Size
- 1/2 tsp. Panchphoron
- 1 Dried Red Chilli
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
- Salt to Taste
- 1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 4 tbsp Sugar
- Pressure cook the red lentils with water and salt till they are soft.
- Peel the green mango and chop it in small cubes. Please bear in mind that every mango has different level of sour taste. So, if it is too sour then hold some of it back from this recipe.
- Heat oil in a pan and temper it with panchphoron, bay leaf and red chilli.
- Add the chopped green mango and fry it along with the turmeric powder.
- Once they turn golden, add the cooked lentils.
- Stir and add water if required. Add the sugar, again use your judgement. Sugar should balance the sharp tang of the mango, but should not make the dal overtly sweet.
- Check for seasoning and add salt if required.
- Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, till the mango pieces become soft and tender.
- Serve with plain boiled rice.
Recipe Video
This post was first published on October 8, 2017, and later republished with a more elaborate description of the recipe.
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