L10 · Lunch · West Bengal
Cholar Dal with Roti
Bengal's festive chana dal, cooked with coconut pieces, whole garam masala and a gentle sweetness; usually served with luchi, here with whole-wheat roti.
- Region
- West Bengal
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Time, as written
- Soak 1 h · Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Status
- Traditional; roti instead of fried luchi
- Good for
- Lunch, festive meals
Nutrition
Good source| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholar dal only (about 250 ml) | 235 | 11 g | 28 g | 8 g | 4 g | 8 g | 5 g | 5.0 g |
| Full plate: dal, 2 rotis, 100 g curd | 520 | 22 g | 77 g | 12 g | 6 g | 16 g | 10 g | 4.0 g |
Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.
Tier: Good source. Contains 5 g sugar and 10 g raisins for 3 servings (about 4 g sugars per serving from these). Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Plate
Method
Soak chana dal 1 hour. Pressure-cook with turmeric and 500 ml water for 3 whistles; the grains should be soft but hold shape.
Heat ghee; fry the coconut slivers until golden. Remove.
In the same ghee, add cumin, bay leaves, red chillies and the whole spices for 30 seconds, then ginger and hing.
Add the dal, 150 ml water, salt, sugar, raisins and coconut. Simmer 8 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.
Serve with rotis and curd.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Chana dal supplies 10.5 g per serving, rotis 8 g, curd 3.5 g.
- Boost
- Serve with a side of 100 g chhena or paneer bhurji (+18 g protein, +260 kcal for the side).
- Lower sugar
- Omit the sugar and raisins; the dal is still traditional in many homes without them.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Odia version — omit sugar, add a little panch phoron.
- Substitution
- Luchi for festive meals (about 120–150 kcal each, deep-fried).
- Storage
- 3 days refrigerated.
- Food safety
- Reheat until boiling.
- Meal prep
- Excellent.
Allergens
Gluten (roti), milk (ghee, curd)
Labels: Good source · High fibre · Soy-free · Whey-free