Aam Dal | Tok Dal | Kacha Aam Diye Tok Dal | Bengali Recipe | Green Mango Dal

Aam Dal or Tok dal can be prepared in many ways using different combinations of lentils and spices. There is no hard and fast rule to prepare this dal. Bengalis in themselves have created different variations of it. They regularly prepare at least four to five varieties of Tok dal recipe during summers, when raw mangoes are easily available in the market.

I belong to a Bengali family and I have grown up enjoying different varieties of Aam dal recipe prepared by my mom. In my house, I have seen my mom preparing at least four varieties of Kacha aam diye tok dal with Moong Dal, Masoor Dal, Matar Dal and Chana Dal. She uses different tempering for different dals, like mustard seeds in few and panch phoran in few.

Today, I am going to share with you the Kancha Aam diye Moong dal recipe with you. This dal is prepared on every Choitro Sankranti (last day of Bengali Calendar year) in our house. Choitro Sankranti is a full vegetarian day for Bengalis and they don’t even use onions, garlic and even masoor dal in their kitchen. On this day, they would prepare only No onion no garlic recipes. Many incredible vegetarian Bengali recipes are prepared on this day and I always feel nostalgic whenever talk about the day.

Tok Dal is more than a simple Bengali veg recipe and it gets prepared very easily. It requires minimal ingredients and gets prepared very quickly without investing much time and effort. Mango dal Bengali recipe is a perfect balance of taste and health. It can be a great addition to your regular diet during summer.

Though Bengali style Aam Dal is very popular in Bengal and Bangladesh but in many other states of India, Dal recipe is prepared with mango. In every state, the combination of spices is completely different from one another. But every preparation tastes superb and different from each other. These dal recipes are known by different names like Mango Dal, Green Mango Dal, Raw Mango Dal etc.

Aam Dal recipe with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the recipe and about the key ingredients.

Health benefits of Green Mango

Health benefits of Moong dal | Yellow Lentils

How to make Mango Dal?

For the Tok Dal recipe with Moong dal, first I have washed the dal thoroughly and pressure cooked it with salt and water. Then I have allowed it to release pressure and kept it aside.

I have cooked the Aam Dal in Mustard Oil to uplift the authenticity of the dish. Mustard oil is always the first choice of Bengalis to prepare traditional Bengali food. It complements the flavour of the dish.

I have tempered the whole spices and then cooked the green mangoes till tender for the recipe. I have added green chillies to the recipe. It gives a fiery kick and refreshing flavour to the Tok Dal recipe.

I have used mustard seeds (Shorshe) and dry red chillies for tempering of the Kacha Aam diye Tok dal. For flavouring, I have added only grated Ginger. Raw mango has a very soothing fruity aroma and addition of excess spices can overpower the flavour of Kacha Aam, I mean Green Mango.

I have added sugar to balance the sour taste of raw mangoes in the Mango Dal. Bengalis always add a little bit of sugar to add a sweet ting to the Tok dal recipe. It is a perfect combination of sour, sweet, salty and fiery taste of the dish.

The Bengali Aam dal or Mango lentils soup is neither too thick nor too runny in consistency. I always prefer moderate consistency for the dish. But many people prefer thick Tok dal to have it with rice whereas many others also prefer it in very thin consistencies to gulp a bowl of it. So, you can add water according to your desired choice. There is no hard and fast rule for it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Moong Dal
• 1 large Green Mango or Unripe Mango, peeled and cut into wedges
• ½ tablespoon Ginger, minced
• 3 green Chillies
• 2 whole dry Red Chillies
• ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Mustard Oil, for cooking
• 2 and ½ cups of water to pressure cook
• 1 cup water to cook, Quantity may vary for desired consistency

1. Soak Moong dal in two cups of water for 30 minutes.
   

2. Drain away the water and transfer it into a pressure cooker.
   

3. Add 2½ cups of water and salt. Give a stir and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
   
   

4. Cook the dal in medium flame for 1-2 whistles.
5. Once the pressure settles down, take off the lid.
   

6. Put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of Oil into a pan in high flame.
8. Once the Oil is hot, add Mustard seeds, Dry Red Chilli and let them crackle.
   

9. Add the Green Mango silces and cook it for 2-3 minutes in medium high flame until it becomes translucent.
   

10. Add Ginger into the pan and cook it for another minute till the raw smell goes away.
    

11. Add Salt, Turmeric powder and give a nice mix.
    

12. Cover the pan and cook it for 4-5 minutes in low flame until the Mangoes get soft.
13. Transfer the boiled Dal (Step 5) into the pan and mix it well.
    

14. Add green or red chillies and mix it.
    

15. Add water according to your desired consistency and allow it to boil. I have added 1 cup of water at this stage.
    

16. Cover the pan and cook it in medium high flame until the dal simmers.
17. Add Sugar and mix it well.
    

18. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.