Odia's Dalma: 15-Min Recipe

Dalma is a quintessential lentil staple that embodies the essence of traditional Odia cuisine.
The earthy, vibrant dish can be served with rice, chapatis or chudasantula (poha or flattened or beaten rice).
Geographically, it straddles both the North and the South, having both dal and sambar taste elements.

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal or pigeon peas, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables, like pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, beans
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, slit
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 2-3 cups water
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp

Ingredients, continued

For the tempering:

• 2 tbsp mustard oil or ghee
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• 2-3 dried red chillies
• 1-2 tej patta or bay leaves
• ½ tsp hing or asafoetida
• Handful fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Method

• In a pressure cooker, combine the soaked dal, chopped vegetables, chopped onion, turmeric powder, green chillies, ginger, salt.
  Add 2-3 cups water and pressure cook, over medium heat, for 4-5 whistles.
  Take off heat.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Method, continued

• Open the pressure cooker and gently mash the cooked dal-vegetable mixture with a ladle, but retain some texture.

Method, continued

• In a small frying pan or tempering pan, heat the mustard oil/ghee over medium heat.
  Add the cumin seeds, dried red chillies, bay leaves, asafoetida.
  Let them splutter for a few seconds, releasing their aroma.
  Pour the tempering over the Dalma and stir well.
• Garnish with dhania and serve hot with rice, rotis or Chudasantula; Serves: 3-4.

Tips
You may garnish with shredded fresh coconut too.
Instead of toor dal consider using with roasted yellow (husked) mung dal and that becomes Habisha Dalma, which is consumed during Kartik masa (month).