Dalma is the everyday dal-and-vegetable stew of Odisha and a fixture of the Jagannath temple's mahaprasad, where it is cooked without onion, garlic, tomato or chillies. In homes it is eaten almost daily with rice and is considered wholesome enough to be a full meal on its own. Odia restaurants now serve it as the anchor of a thali.
Toor dal, or sometimes chana dal, is boiled with chunks of vegetables until both are soft but the vegetables still hold their shape. The dal is mildly sweet from pumpkin and raw papaya, earthy from raw banana and yam. The defining touch is a dry-roasted powder of cumin and dried red chillies sprinkled at the end, and a panch phoron tempering in ghee.
At a glance
| Region | Odisha |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Odia |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | toor dal / pumpkin / raw papaya / raw banana / brinjal |
Ingredients
For the dal
- 3/4 cup toor dal, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
- 1 cup pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 cup raw papaya, cut into cubes
- 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 small brinjal, cubed
- 1/2 cup elephant foot yam (optional), cubed
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups water
- Salt to taste
For the tempering and finish
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 2 dry red chillies
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp grated coconut
- 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dry red chillies, dry-roasted and ground (bhaja masala)
Method
- Pressure cook the soaked toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
- If using yam, boil it separately for 5 minutes in salted water and drain; this reduces its itchiness.
- Open the cooker, add the pumpkin, papaya, raw banana, brinjal, yam, ginger, salt and 1 cup water.
- Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender and the pumpkin starts to break into the dal.
- In a small pan heat the ghee. Add panch phoron, dry red chillies and bay leaves and let them crackle for 15-20 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the dal. Stir in the grated coconut and half the roasted cumin-chilli powder and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with the rest of the roasted powder and a little more ghee.
Tips
- Do not cook the vegetables in the cooker with the dal – they turn to mush; simmering them in the open pot keeps the texture.
- For the temple-style version, skip the red chillies in the tempering and use only ginger and ghee.
- Dalma thickens as it stands; loosen with hot water when reheating.
Serve with
Steamed rice with a fry such as aloo bhaja or saga bhaja.