If you grew up in a Bengali household, then you know there is no better meal than a plate of white rice, daal, and deem bhazi! It's such a comfort meal which is why this recipe is so special for me to share! Now, traditionally this is made over a stove top, but I love slow cooker recipes and figured why not cut down the watch time of this dish! This dish is so creamy and delicious and, seriously, with a side of achar, you can't beat it!
Dry roast your whole spices (cumin seeds and panch phoron) on medium heat in small frying pan for about 5 minutes. Make sure to constantly stir so the spices do not burn.
Add your daal/red lentils, diced tomatoes, 1 diced medium onion, 3 garlic cloves minced, toasted whole spices from step 1, ginger paste, turmeric powder, bay leaves, salt, and pepper into your slow cooker. Mix well and add the 5 cups of water. Give it another good mix and set it on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
Once your daal is completely done, for the optional bagar/takar, heat your oil in a small frying pan and add the onions and garlic. Fry for about 5 minutes until they start developing a slight brown color. Add in your dried red chili peppers and fry for additional 5-10 minutes or until you see the sides of the onions start to become very dark brown. Add everything very carefully to your hot daal. Note: Calories listed include the bagar.
Give your daal a good mix with the bagar/tarka, taste for salt, add cilantro (if you want), and enjoy over some rice!
12 servings
10-12
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.