Daler Bara'r Jhol (Bengali Lentil Vada Curry)

It's a very traditional recipe made from lentil. Vada or as we call in Bengali Cuisine" Bara" is a savory fritter type snack made with lentil. Lentils are soaked in water and then grinded into a smooth paste and then deep fried in oil in various shapes and sizes. Vadas can be made with single lentil and with a combinations of lentils. "Jhol" is a bengali cooking term, which means a dish with a thin gravy.
 This recipe is particularly made during No Non-Veg. days in bengali households, that means in some of the days of week, people don't eat any non-veg. dishes, even all dishes are cooked without onion and garlic, those days are called, "Niramish days". On those days, this recipe is cooked, as this recipe requires no onion or garlic. It's a very simple dish and a pure comfort food to enjoy with hot rice.

You Need :
Red Lentil( Masoor dal) : 1 cup(soaked for 1/2 an hour)
Potato : 2(medium), cut into medium chunks
Ginger paste : 1 tsp.
Green Chilli : 1-2
Black cumin seed/kalonji/nigella : 11/2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp.
Oil : 1 tblsp.( for cooking) + just enough oil to deep fry the vadas

How To :

• Soak the lentil in water for 1/2 an hour, take the lentils into grinder, add 1 green chilli(optional) and grind into a smooth paste adding very little water. After grinding, add salt to taste, 1 tsp. black cumin seed and 1 tsp. of turmeric powder to the batter. Mix well.
• Heat enough oil in a pan or kadai to deep fry the vadas. Then take 1 tblsp. of lentil batter and drop into oil and deep fry until golden brown from all sides. Fry in medium heat, so that lentils get cooked inside and fry from outside at the same time. Drain the vadas in paper towel. Fry the potato pieces also in the same oil. Keep aside.
• Once all the vadas are fried, let's make the curry for vadas. Prepare a spice mix in a bowl, adding all the powdered spices in 2 tblsp. water. Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, temper with 1/2 tsp. black cumin seed and a green chilli, immediately add ginger paste. Stir for a minute until raw smell of ginger goes away. Then add spice mix immediately and stir until oil seperates. 
• Add 1/2 cup hot water and season with salt. Now, add fried potato pieces and lentil vadas in the curry. Cover with lid and let it cook until potatoes are done. By that time, gravy will also thicken a bit.

Serve with steamed hot rice............ Enjoy


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