During the scorching summers of my childhood, my cousins and I transformed the kitchen into a bustling culinary laboratory. 

Our mission: to concoct the most outrageous and delicious dishes imaginable.

One particularly memorable day, armed with a mishmash of ingredients scavenged from the pantry, we decided to create the ultimate dal of the day: the “Healthy Bitter gourd Dal.”

We raided the kitchen garden for Ucche aka bitter gourd, plundered the cupboards for spices and lentils, and even unearthed a forgotten iron Kadhai back in the store.

I, being the eldest managed to convince others that this dish was exclusively my invention. Allowing them to invest some imagination at their end was just an overdrive. We cooked a slurpy dal, rich in nutrients. Each cousin took turns adding their signature touch, a drizzle of more Kancha Shore Tel or an extra green chilli.

As the huge clock struck 12, we gathered around the table, eager to taste our masterpiece. With spoons in hand, we dug into the creation, laughter filling the air as we revealed the chaos we had created until Dida revealed the secret that it was not my invention but a quintessential Bengali dish of the summer, Tetor Dal.

But late that summer, my culinary escapades became legendary in our family, and though my culinary skills may not have been the most unique one, it was a testament to the joy of childhood imagination and the bond shared between cousins united by a love for gastronomical adventures.

I was 11 years old at that time.

A midday meal or lunch in an upper-middle-class Bengali Hindu household had a strictly planned sequence, according to the poetic verses of the Manasamangal, the epic Bengali poems written between the 13th and 18th centuries. Starting this specific meal with a bitter dish or the Teto, followed by a satisfying Jhol or a soupy dish, and then an assortment of mixed vegetables known as a Ghonto. Then comes any vibrant green leafy vegetable or Shaak with wholesome boiled lentils or Dal. Finally comes a succulent fish or meat curry followed by a tangy sour dish called the Ambal. 

That remains the official sequence even today.

The entire course is savoured alongside a generous serving of steamed rice.

 As any Indian feast is unfinished without a dessert, so came the heavenly rice-flour sweets or the Pithas, and milk-based treats or Payesh. 

The Teto is the first course of Bengali cuisine for a good reason. They cleanse the palate, help in digestion, and make every course that follows taste even better.

This afternoon, while narrating this story to my son, I sliced the Ucches or Bitter Gourds. I added some salt and left it for a while meanwhile washed and soaked Sona Muger Dal for 30 minutes. 

Pluto, my dog, came sniffing inside the kitchen to figure out what was cooking!

So, whether you’re a Bengali or not, don’t shy away from adding bitters to your culinary repertoire and diet. Instead, take the advice of Bengali moms and cooks, and include Teto in your meals. Trust me, you’ll enjoy every delicacy that follows this perfect first course even more! 

Then I diced a Lau aka Bottle Gourd. Shallow fried it for 10 mins.

Also, fried the Ucches, crispy.

Boiled the Sona Mooger Dal in an open wok, occasionally removing the froth.

I strictly prepare my Bong dishes in pungent mustard oil. Just a teaspoon was enough for frying.

 One tablespoon of Panchphoron, Tej Pata and Sukno lonkas for the tempering. You can add some fresh ginger too, though that is completely optional. Added the boiled dal and Lau. Some turmeric, sugar and salt. Add a few slit green chillies. Added the fried Ucches. Kept a few handy for the garnishing. Simmer for 5 mins and serve with steamed rice. A dollop of Gawa ghee. That made the magic happen. 

Ingredients:

Mung lentils or Sona Muger Dal: 2/3 cup

Bottle gourd or Lau: 8-10 cubes (peeled and cut approximately into 2” pieces)

Bitter gourd or Ucche : One (4-5 inches long), cut into thin slices. 

Panchphoron: ½ Tablespoon

Ginger: one-inch piece, ground into a paste

Dry red chillies: 2-3 nos.

Bay leaf/Tej patta: 2-3 nos.

Turmeric 

Green chillies: 

Dry Red Chillies or Sukno Lonka: 2 nos

Mustard oil: a couple of tablespoons

Salt to taste

• Dry roast the dal, taking care of not to over-roast or burn them. Remove from the pan once roasted.
• Boil some water in a deep bottom pan or Kadhai.
• Wash the dal and to the boiling water. Add turmeric powder.
• Shallow fry the Bottle gourd pieces for 10 mins and add to the dal. 
• Deep Fry the Ucche slices and add them to the dal.
• Once the dal is half-cooked, whisk it and take care not to make it mushy.
• In a separate pan, heat the Mustard oil to a smoking point.
•  Add the Panchphoron, red chillies and bay leaves to it. Once the spices are roasted and a nice aroma is produced, add the spices with the oil in the dal. 
• Add salt to taste and boil the dal for 5 more minutes to incorporate the flavours. 
• Add the ginger paste and keep the flame on medium for the dal to have a gentle boil.