Cholar dal is a lentil preparation using chana dal or Bengal gram, which is an indigenous recipe of the eastern region of Indian sub-continent. This dal is best served with luchi (puri made with maida or plain flour) or Mishti Pulav. If you ever happen to visit a Durga Puja Pandal, you can witness a number of food stalls selling luchi with cholar dal. 

My mom makes one of the best cholar dal, which is an inseparable part of Bengali meal. Made with little ingredients, this daal has a unique flavor arising from garam masala, coconut, ghee, and sugar. Her experience of more than 30 years in the kitchen enables her to prepare this elegant dish without any kind of specific measurement and yet it turns out to be perfect in terms of taste and texture, every single time. She cooks it in such a way that each grain of dal though fully cooked, is still clearly and fully visible, unlike the mushy texture that we have in the common lentil preparations. Although I follow her exact recipe, somehow I cannot replicate that taste. Maybe it’s her love that blends with the food to bring out that extraordinary taste.