The millennium city of Cuttack is famous
for various reasons - silver filigree work, Historical Barabati fort,
Famous Barabati stadium among others. Besides this, Cuttack is famous for one
more thing and that is the ‘Dahibara-aloodum’. The name itself conjures up thousands of
memories and for anyone who’s everbeen to Cuttack or hails from the same, needs
no intro to this legendary street food – Dahi Bara Aloo Dum and Guguni, mostly
known as “Dahi Bara Aloo Dum”.
“Aloo dum Dahi bara”, A wholesome meal in
itself is said to be the staple food of Cutkis, a name synonymous with the people
of Cuttack. People love to have it for breakfast, lunch and it is considered an
all- day snacks item. It provides timely carb in the form of potatoes, which
replenish energy and the butter-milk given at the end of the snacks is a
relishing drink to beat the scorching summer. While the tangy flavor of the
dahi bara revives the taste buds! Typically, it is served with ghuguni (A spicy
Curry made of chick peas) and garnished with sev, onion and coriander leaves.
The savory tartness of the dahibara
perfectly complements the spicy aloodum and ghuguni and all of it wonderfully
comes together with the crunchiness of the onions and the bhujia sev.
This local delicacy is so popular that
hardly anyone, whether a local person or a visitor from outside, misses the
chance to taste it. From early morning till late in the night one can find the
vendors selling the dahibara across the city.Dahibara of Cuttack is so famous that
people from faraway places, come to the city just to have a taste of it. People
residing in far off places like Sambulpur, Paradip, Rourkela, Balasore,
Berhampur and many other such area carry this item to their places.
But despite its iconic status within the
state, it’s a irony that it hasn’t received the limelight it truly deserves. Many
people outside Odisha hardly knows about it. It is a privilege when my fellow
bloggers decided on the theme for our weekly event FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP as street
Food , my happiness knew no bound as I am very confident that not only this
famous street food of Odisha can stand
tall , it may exceed many iconic street foods in their lovability quotient. For
a beautiful compilation of 25 Indian street foods every desi foodie simply must
try, do click on the link www.folomojo.com/25-indian-street-foods-every-desi-foodie-simply-must-try/. So here is my dish for the Third " FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP" event dish on the Theme" STREET FOOD".....Dahi Bara Aloo Dum - The Quintessential Street Food of Odisha
My own childhood memories associated with
this famous street food is the excitement at seeing the vendor selling Dahi
Bara Aloodum in his drummed container and serving it in a thola ( container
made out of sal leaves).
Dahi Bara
Ingredients
Serves:4
- 1 cup - Whole Urad Dal
- 1 tsp - Baking soda
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup - Yogurt
- 1 cup - Water
- Salt to taste
- Cumin and red chili powder
For the tempering
- 1 Tablespoon - Oil
- ½ tsp - Mustard seeds
- 2 nos - Dry red chillies
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Let’s learn how to prepare Dahi Bara:
- Soak the urad daal in water overnight. After the dal is perfectly soaked (it will feel light and puffed up), grind to a smooth batter. Keep it aside for 2 to 3 hrs for fermentation in a dark, warm place. If you are short of time, you can add baking powder and salt to it and mix well. Leave it for 1hr.
- From the batter make small balls or baras. Slightly flatten them. In a frying pan heat oil. Fry the Baras till golden brown. Soak the fried vadas in salted water till soft and fully soaked. After this take them out of salted water and keep aside.
- In a small vessel, mix the yogurt and water together. Add salt and roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder to it. Put the soaked Baras in it.
- Now heat 1 teaspoon of oil in the frying pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilies and let them splutter. Pour this mixture on the Dahi Bara.
Ghuguni
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried peas soaked overnight in water
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp of cumin seeds
- 1tsp of cumin powder
- 1 tbsp of coriander powder
- Fresh coriander leaves
- 1tspRed chilli powder to taste
- 2 Green Chilies
- ½ tspTurmeric powder
- 1tsp garam masala
- 2-4 tsp cooking oil
- Salt to taste
Let’s learn how to prepare Ghuguni:
- Soak the dried white peas in water for 3 to 4 hours. Boil the soaked peas with some salt till soft.
- Put 2 tbs of oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies, finely chopped onions and sauté till onions becomes brown in colour.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smells of the garlic goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till it becomes mushy and oiul comes out of it. Add a tsp of water to prevent burning.
- Now add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder to it and continue to sauté for one more minute.
- Add the boiled peas, little water and salt and cook for 10-15mts on slow flame or till you achieve the desired consistency of the gravy. Here the gravy should not be too watery nor too dry.
- Add the garam masala and the chopped coriander leaves and keep it aside.
- 250 gms small Potatoes
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsps Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Ginger,Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1tsp Garam Masala
- salt
Let’s learn how to do the Aloo Dum:
- Boil the Potatoes in enough water. Cool the boiled Potatoes in cold water, and peel the skins of the potatoes.
- In a pan, add oil, and the cumin seeds and the dry red chilies. Once it splutters, add the finely chopped onions and fry till it turn brown.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smells of the paste goes away.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till oil comes out of the gravy.
- Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and sauté for one more minute.
- Add the boiled and peeled potatoes and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Then add some water to it. Cook on slow flame till the gravy thickens and the Spiced Gravy soaks into the very core of the Potatoes, and these turn brown. Then add Garam Masala to it and remove it from stove.
Ingredients:
- Dahi Bara
- Aloo Dum
- Ghuguni
- Chopped Onions
- Chopped Coriander leaves
- Chopped green chillies
- Cumin red chilli powder
- Garnish the dish with chopped onions, chopped green chillies, sev, chopped coriander leaves and top it with some black salt and cumin red chilli powder.
- Now dig into it and savor every bite of this street delicacy of Odisha .
