Kacha Aam Dal Raw Mango Lentil Bengali Summer

Ingredients

• 1 cup moong dal (split yellow moong) — dry roasted then washed
• 1 medium raw green mango — peeled and cut into 3 cm cubes (choose a sour, fibrous variety)
• 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp turmeric
• For tempering:
• 2 tbsp ghee, 1/2 tsp panch phoron, 2 dried red chilli
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt

Method

1. Dry roast the moong dal: Roast moong dal in a dry pan 3 minutes until lightly golden. Wash thoroughly.
2. Cook dal with raw mango: Place roasted washed dal, raw mango cubes, water and turmeric in a pressure cooker. Cook on high until first whistle then medium for 3 whistles. The raw mango will cook completely and dissolve partially into the dal, releasing its sourness throughout.
3. Open and mash: Open after pressure releases. Stir vigorously. The mango pieces will have softened — some will be intact, some will have dissolved. Mash partially. The dal should taste distinctly sour from the mango.
4. Taste the sourness: If the mango was very sour, the dal may already be quite tangy. If not sour enough, add a small additional piece of raw mango and simmer 5 more minutes uncovered.
5. Add sugar and salt: Add sugar and salt. The sugar balances the mango sourness. Stir.
6. Heat ghee for tempering: Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a small pan. Add panch phoron — all five seeds crackle. Add dried red chilli and asafoetida.
7. Add ginger and chilli: Add ginger paste — stir 30 seconds. Turn low. Add red chilli powder — stir 10 seconds.
8. Pour tempering into dal: Pour the hot ghee tempering into the sour mango dal. Stir well.
9. Simmer 3 minutes.
10. Serve: The kacha aam dal should be flowing and distinctly sour-sweet. Serve over steamed white rice.
11. Note: Kacha Aam Dal (kacha aam = raw mango, dal = lentils) is the summer seasonal dal of Bengal — made specifically during the April to June months when raw green mangoes are abundant and at their most sour. Using seasonal ingredients as the souring agent (rather than tamarind year-round) is a distinctly Bengali seasonal cooking approach. The tartness of raw mango provides a fresher, fruitier sourness than tamarind.