Dalma ( Vegetables cooked in a delicious thick lentil curry)

Dalma is one of the famous signature dish of Orissa. I think no Odiya meal is complete without serving dalma. Dalma is a very healthy, nutritious, light and delicious. Dalma is also served as prasad in many temples across Orissa. There are many versions of dalmas available in Orissa. Different vegetable combination and different lentil (daal) combination is used. Spices combination though remains almost same but some use onion and garlic to make dalma. In previous days dalmas were cooked in earthen pot and the taste of it was heavenly no doubt but today we are cooking this dish in a traditional way without using any onion and garlic and in a regular vessel but assuring you that we will not compromise with its deliciousness.

Preparation time   15 minutes
Cooking time 20 to 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
½ cup chana dal / split chickpeas/ buta dali
1  big bowl of mixed vegetables ( red pumpkin, eggplant, lauki, yam, potatoes beans, raw banana raw papaya etc)

1 large tomato/tamato
½ tsp of whole jeera
½ tsp of mustard/ sorisa
1tsp of saunf/pan madhuri/ fennel seeds
1tsp of turmeric powder/haladi gunda
1 whole red chilly/ sukhila lanka
1 bay leaves/ tej patta/ teja patra
¼ tsp of hing
1 tsp of grated  ginger
3tbsp ghee/ deshi gheea
2 to 3 chopped green chilly
Handful of chopped coriander
1 tsp of roasted powder ( ½  whole red chili and 1 tsp of jeera dry roasted and finely grounded)
½ tsp of sugar
Salt/ luna  as per taste

Methods Of Cooking

Soak the dal in water for 30 minutes then clean and drain the excess water. First cut the vegetables that you are using in big chunks. Now put the dal in a pressure cooker with salt, haldi and bay leaves and water. The consistency of this dish is not watery and running but like a thick sauce. So keep this in mind while adding water. When it is half cooked open the pressure cooker then add the grated ginger and the vegetable and tomato chunks. Cook till the dal and vegetables are both well cooked. Now prepare the tempering for this heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a small pan add whole mustard seed, whole cumin seed and whole snauf, red chili, hing, green chilly. As they start to splutter add it to the cooked dal. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then add the roasted powder, spoonful of ghee and chopped coriander. Put off the flame and give 5 minutes standing time before serving. Mix well and serve with hot rice or paratha. Some restaurants in Orissa serve dalma with malpua. This is a bizarre combination but for a change you can try it too.

Wish you all a very Happy Women's Day.....Its you who's making the difference in so many lives.......Have a wonderful day!

Happy Cooking!