Compared to other regional Indian
cuisines, Odia cuisine used relatively less oil and
is less spicy but of great taste. Odia cooks,
particular from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to
cook food in accordance to the Hindu scriptures. During the 19th century, many
Odia cooks were employed in Bengal and they took several dishes with them.
Dalma is one of the most common recipe in every Odia household,
particularly the coastal Odisha. Being from the coastal district of Odisha,
Dalma is my all time favorite dish. It is a vegetarian dish in which dal and
lots and lots of vegetables are cooked together. Hence it is usually
recommended for kids, who are usually reluctant in eating vegetables. Use of
ginger gives it a nice aroma.
This is a typical vegetarian dish of Odisha and is basically prepared on auspicious occasions as it is prepared devoid of onion and garlic This dish can be made with onion also. I always prefer to make it without onion and garlic. This dish takes me back to my childhood days when my mother used it to make it for us and how we would be waiting eagerly to have it with parathas , especially in the winter months.
This dish can be made with a number of vegetables like, potato, pumpkin,
brinjal, beans, tomato, pointed gourd, cauliflower, papaya, radish, drumstick,
raw babana and a no of lentils of your choice. But prefer not to use all
the vegetables at one go…..A secret which I learnt from my Mother in law
regarding this dish is that keep the amount of vegetables less and the lentils
more to have a thick consistency.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup Arhar dal
- 2 nos of medium potato
- 1 brinjal
- 1 carrot
- 2 nos of beans
- 100 gms of pumpkin
- 1 ripe tomato
- 1 bay leaf
- 1inch ginger
- 1tbsp roasted Cumin –dry chilli powder* See My Note for How to prepare this
- (Fry 3 tsp cumin seed and 2 pc dry chili slightly, then
make a fine powder out of it, keep aside)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt
- 2 to 3 cups of water
- 1 tbsp desi ghee or oil
- 1 tbsp of grated coconut
- 1 bunch of Coriander leaves
How to prepare Dalma:
- Wash and
soak the arhar dal for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the vegetables thoroughly; cut them into medium size pieces, cut beans into 2 inch long pieces.
3. Transfer all the vegetables with the soaked dal to a pressure cooker along with 1 bay leaf, 1 inch crushed ginger, tomatoes, 2 to 3 cups of water or just enough to cover the vegetables and dal, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt.
4.Pressure cook till one whistle, lower the heat and allow it to remain on heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure cooker to cool down.
5 Heat ghee in a pan . when hot, add the cumin seeds and dry red chill.
6.When it starts to splutter, add 1 tbsp roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder.
7.Add the boiled Dalma unto it and immediately cover to trap the aroma of the tadka. This is very essential.
8.Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, add sugar and check the seasoning. Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves o the Dalma.
9.Serve hot with rice, roti ,poori or paratha.
My Note:
Roasted Cumin & Dry Red Chilli Powder:
- You can use your own combination of vegetables and dal.
- Whenever you add radish or papaya, check the water content as it tends to make the dalma more Watery.
- 100gms cumin seeds
- 50gms Dry Red chillies
- Dry roast the cumin and red chillies separately in a griddle on slow flame till the aroma comes out. Turn off the heat. Let it cool.
- Grind both of these in grinder till smooth.
- Store in airtight jar and keep in a dry place.
2 comments
Good Blog Alka.. Lot of Oriya recipes to learn from.
ReplyDeleteDo visit my blog sometimes..
Flavoursunlimited,blogspot.com
Thank you....I do visit your blogs regularly... for delicious chicken delicacies
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