This Bengali Arhar Dal recipe, also known as Shobji Diye Dal, is a wholesome dish with seasonal vegetables combined with the goodness of lentils in one dish. Whatever bits and pieces of veggies you have in your vegetable basket, you can combine them into this delicious Bengali arhar dal recipe and serve it with rice or any other flatbread you choose.
This toor dal recipe calls for a pressure cooker, which makes it easy to cook. It is also vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free and can be adapted into a vegan and dairy-free arhar dal recipe. I have also included a variety of vegetables that go superbly into this comforting traditional Bengali dal.
Ingredients for shobji diye arhar dal
- Toor Dal/Arhar Dal/Split Pigeon Pea Lentil
- Vegetables like Peas, Green Papaya, Bottle Gourd, Carrots, Onion, Tomato, Coriander leaves, Garlic, & Ginger
- Mustard Oil & Ghee – alternate would be Light Olive Oil
- Cumin Seeds – alternate would be panchphoron
- Bay Leaf
- Cumin Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Garam Masala Powder
Vegetables that go in
The best thing about Bengali lentil recipes is that simple ingredients can create flavorful, hearty meals. Vegetables that aren’t too strongly flavored can go perfectly here in this Bengali arhar dal recipe. So, here’s a list of some of the vegetables that I like to add to this simple vegetable & toor dal recipe.
- Potato
- Peas
- Carrot
- French Beans
- Bottle Gourd – or Opo Squash
- Pumpkin
- Raw Papaya
- Eggplant
- Leeks
- Spinach
- Tomato
How to cook arhar dal Bengali style
- Take a pressure cooker and add the dal and veggies like peas, carrots, and raw papaya in it. Add water enough to submerge the veggies in it. Season it with some salt. Add the dry bay leaf. Close the lid and allow it to whistle 3-4 times or till everything gets cooked completely.
- Once done, turn off the heat and let it de-pressurise on its own.
- In a pan, heat some oil. Temper it with cumin seeds. You can also use panchphoron here.
As they splutter, add the chopped garlic, onion, tomatoes and grated ginger. Cook till they become mushy. - Now, add the powdered spices, some salt, turmeric powder and green chilies.
- Once they are fried nicely, add the cooked dal and veggies to this spice mix. Give everything a nice mix. Allow this to simmer for a couple more minutes.
- At this stage, adjust the consistency. Add water if needed. Also, add salt as needed.
- Once done, turn off the heat. Garnish it with some chopped coriander leaves and ghee, and serve.
As you can see, you can pack it with as many vegetables as you like and make it one big hearty dish. Toor or arhar dal is a versatile lentil that compliments well with most vegetables and spices. This recipe has very few spices in it, thus making it very healthy for kids as well as adults. Adding seasonal vegetables to the dal not only enhances its flavor but also makes it one of the healthiest Bengali recipes for everyday meals.
You can even make it as a standalone meal of a lentil and vegetable stew, perfect for those who are watching their weight.
Pro tips to cook Bengali lentil recipes
- Use a Pressure Cooker to cook and soften the toor dal or split pigeon pea first. In case you don’t have one or do not wish to use one, then start by washing and soaking the dal for a couple of hours first. This way the cooking time will be reduced.
- When you are ready to cook, discard the soaking liquid and wash the lentils or dal once again. Now, fill a saucepan with water and add the soaked Toor dal or split Pigeon Peas along with the chopped vegetables. Season it with some salt allow this to simmer and cook until the dal has softened.
- Turn off the heat and proceed with the recipe for preparing the spice mix as mentioned below. Retain the cooking liquid since it has all the nutrition and flavor of the cooked lentils and vegetables in it.
Serving suggestions
This shobji diye arhar dal is a winter staple in my kitchen. So I like to serve this simple Indian paratha for lunch. Those who prefer rice can have this hearty arhar dal with steamed rice or jeera rice.
More arhar dal recipes
- Bengali Arhar Dal recipe with Onion-Tomato Spice Mix | Spicy Bengali Toor Dal recipe
- Arhar Dal Recipe in Bengali style with Hing & Panchphoron
More Indian-style dal recipes
- Dhaba-style Punjabi Dal Makhani Recipe
- Cholar Dal Recipe│Bengali Chana Daal Recipe
- Kacha Aam Dal | Bengali Green Mango Dal Recipe
- Rajma Masala | Kidney Beans Curry Recipe
- Bengali Motor Dal Recipe
- Bengali Kancha Mung Dal
- Musur Dal Sheddho
- Radhaballavi or Urad Dal Kachori
- Kolai Dal or Biulir Dal Recipe
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This Toor Dal recipe with seasonal vegetables is a hearty and delicious stew which includes the goodness of lentils and veggies in one dish. Whatever bits and bobs of veggies you have in your vegetable basket, you can combine them into this delicious split pigeon pea curried stew, that can be served with rice or any other flatbread of your choice.
- ¼ cup Toor Dal / Arhar Dal Thoroughly Washed
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil replace with Light Olive Oil if needed
- 1 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter omit if Vegan
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Onion Large – Finely Chopped
- 6 Cloves of Garlic Finely Chopped
- 1 inch Ginger Grated
- 2 Tomatoes Medium – Chopped
- ½ cup Carrots Cut in Cubes
- ½ cup Raw Papaya Cut in Cubes
- ¼ cup Peas
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ¼ tsp Garam Masala Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 Green Chilies slit in halves
- Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves to Garnish
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Take a Pressure Cooker and add the dal and veggies like Peas, Carrots, Raw Papaya in it. Add water enough to submerge the veggies in it. Season it with some salt. Add the dry bay leaf. Close the lid and allow it to whistle 3-4 times or till everything gets cooked completely.
-
Once done, turn off the heat and let it de-pressurise on its own.
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In a pan, heat some oil. Temper it with Cumin seeds. As they splutter, add the chopped garlic, onion, tomatoes and grated ginger. Cook till they become mushy.
-
Now, add the powdered spices, some salt, turmeric powder and green chilies.
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Once they are fried nicely, add the cooked dal and veggies into this spice mix. Give everything a nice mix. Allow this to simmer for couple more minutes.
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At this stage, adjust the consistency. Add water if needed. Also, add salt as needed.
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Once done, turn off the heat. Garnish it with some chopped coriander leaves and ghee, and serve.
This post was first published on December 8, 2020, and later republished on November 28, 2024, with a more elaborate description of the recipe.
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