CHHOLA or GHANA (Gram).
Required:—Chhola-dal 12 seer, ghee 1 powa, coriander 1 tola, pepper 12 tola, cumin 12 tola, turmeric 12 tola, ginger 12 tola, sugar 12 tola, salt 1 tola, cloves 18 tola, cardamom 18 tola, cinnamon 14 tola, a few cassia leaves and red chillies, panch-foron 1 pinch, water 34 seer, a handful of chhatoo of grams.
Method:—Heat half the ghee in a pan and when the bubbles die out add a few red chillies broken in two, ginger and half the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, all of them ground. Stir for about a minute and add the dal, washed and dried, in it. After frying for about 5 minutes add the specified amount of hot water. Add the sugar, half the cassia leaves and powdered or pasted turmeric, coriander, pepper and cumin when the pulses are half boiled If the water becomes unmanageable some of it may be taken out to be added later on. Add salt and the chhatoo when the pulses are fully boiled. Always take care that the pulses do not melt.
Heat the rest of the ghee in another pot with the panch-foron and the rest of the cassia leaves, cloves, cinnamons and the seeds of the cardamoms, all entire. When the smell of the spices comes out add the ghee in the boiling dal. Stir the dal for a few minutes and take down when it is moderately thick. This is a very tasteful preparation and it is served in nearly all the feasts given by Bengalees.
This becomes more tasteful if fried lobsters are added when the dal begins to boil. The lobsters are to be fried
