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Bootor dali

Bootor dali

Sunita Bhuyan
Bootor dali is an Assamese dish of split chickpeas (chana dal) cooked in spices. It is usually thick and eaten with Indian flatbreads though it's thinner counterpart is also enjoyed with rice.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Assamese, Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup split chickpeas /chana dal / bootor dali
  • 2 tbsp split red lentils / masur dal
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 3 green chillies, trimmed and slit halfway upwards from the thick end
  • 2 tbsp oil ( I used olive oil; can use mustard oil for an authentic flavour)
  • cups hot water (may need more)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp ground
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp ghee (optional, but recommended)

For tempering

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 whole red chillies
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 inch stick of cinnamon
  • 3 pods of cardamom

Instructions
 

  • Wash together the bootor dali (split chickpeas / chana dal) and masur dali (split red lentils). Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. Stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Add the onion and stir for one and a ½ minutes over medium heat.
  • Add ¼ tsp salt; this will help to cook the onions faster.
  • Stir for another 1 and a ½ minutes.
  • Add the ground ginger, chilli and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add the split chickpeas and split red lentil mix and stir well.
  • Add the turmeric powder. ground cumin, chilli powder, salt and sugar.
  • Stir for a minute and add the green chillies. Stir for another 30 seconds.
  • Add 3 and ½ cups of hot water, stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Stir, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes (see notes below), stirring every ten minutes.
  • Add 1 cup water after 20 minutes and another cup after 30 minutes.
  • When the forty minutes are over, stir, then cover and cook for another three minutes.
  • Stir in the garam masala powder and chopped coriander.
  • Add the ghee and stir well.
  • Remove from heat (see notes below) and serve hot with Indian breads. We had ours with luci /poori. Find the recipe for luci here.
    Bootor dali

Video

Notes

  • It took me 40 minutes to cook the bootor dali. However, do keep an eye from about 30 minutes. The chana dal should be cooked yet retain shape. We do not want it to go mushy.
  • If you are using a pressure cooker, follow all the steps mentioned in this recipe until the addition of water. When it is time to add the water, add enough to submerge the dal and with about an inch more water over it. Cook over low heat. The bootor dali is ready when the split chickpeas are soft and yet retain their shape. But be careful, it can go from not done to mushy very quickly; so do keep an eye.
  • We like ours quite thick. The dish will continue to thicken further on cooling. If you are having with rice, you might want to add a little more water.
Keyword Assamese dish, bootor dali, chana dal, split chickpeas