Kancha Aamer Tok Dal / Aam Dal / Green Mango Dal

In our home Tok Dal is always prepared with raw green mangoes. Although there are recipes to make this dal with tamarind pulp as well, the flavour imparted from mangoes can never be compared with tamarind. Both of them are different, and whereas the tamarind pulp only gives sour taste, green mangoes give Tok Dal a pungent aroma to go with. So, Tok Dal in our home is a very summer thing. The heat, the sweat and the unbearable rising temperature makes this Aam Dal much more appetizing and refreshing.

I like this particular lentil recipe a little on the sweeter side so I add a generous amount of sugar to balance out the sourness....but touch wood, some people really like their dal totally sour. My mother used to cook like that, and on that day I used to sit with the jar on of sugar and adjusted it accordingly.

Rub turmeric powder over the mango pieces.

Heat oil and temper it with panch foron / bengali five spices.

Add dry red chillies and saute for some seconds.

Next add the raw mangoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they turn a little soft.

Finally add the cooked dal, water, sugar(as per taste) and simmer until the desired consistency is achieved.

As per the Tok Dal, the lighter the other side dishes, the better the meal will be. So stick to a fluffy crispy potato fry and the your meal is ready!!!!

Kancha Amer Tok Dal / Aam Dal / Green Mango Dal

Makes enough for 4-6 people

Ingredients:

1 large / 2 medium green mango

� cup of masoor dal / husked red lentils

� tsp panch foron / Bengali five spices

2 dry red chillies

2 tsp turmeric powder

Sugar � as per taste

Salt

1 tbsp oil

Method:

Cook the masoor dal in a pressure cooker with some salt, water and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Cook the lentils until the cooker blows 4-5 whistles. Let it sit like that until the steam escapes and then open the lid. Pour the dal in a bowl and keep aside.

Cut the green mangoes in medium cubes.  You can peel the skin or you can keep them. If you are keeping the skin wash the mangoes really well before you actually use them for cooking.

Then cut them into nice medium cubes and sprinkle the rest of the turmeric powder over them. Rub them nicely with the turmeric powder to ensure even coating.

Heat the oil in a kadai and temper it with panch foron / Bengali five spices and dry red chillies.

As the spices start to crackle and sizzle add the cubed green mangoes to them.

Stir and cook the mangoes for 2-3 minutes or until they start to soften up.

Now pour in the boiled lentils and mix everything.

Add water as per your desired consistency. Traditionally Aam Dal has a very thin almost a broth like consistency. But you can make it a little thicker than that. Since it already has this very sour green raw mangoes, the thin consistency gives this dal a much light texture and flavour.

Add sugar as per your taste. You can keep the dal really sour or adjust the sugar and salt to balance it out a little to give it a sweet and sour taste. It�s definitely up to you. What I do is I taste and adjust the sugar and salt. When I feel the taste is just fine according to my taste buds, I stop.

So, when you feel the taste and consistency is perfect, put off the flame.

Serve hot with plain hot rice and some crispy fine potato fries.