While growing up in Jamshedpur, Bou rarely made dalma. Even if she did, it was either a pumpkin chana dal or cauliflower and peas in dal. And she called it dalna…. Now I understand they were her Bengali roots(of growing up in Darjeeling) speaking.
My first tryst with the real dalma was in Puri. As a kid, an annual darshan of Jagannath was the done thing. Aja and Mama(aai) were our Puri guides. And in those days, we did not stay in the fancy Mayfairs of the world. If Bapa came along, the budget was higher and we stayed at Puri hotel. With Bou, it was a lodge on Bada danda which belonged to Mama‘s relative. One night, Aja had fever and we could not go out for dinner. Mama’s relative sent two big steel dabbas – one stack of homemade rutis and another of muga dalma. I can’t forget the sight and taste of that dalma. In that dimly lit room, the brown muga dalma and hot rutis were ambrosia. ( Now that I am gluten free, makes me cherish the ruti even more)
When I moved to Bhubaneswar and stayed at the engineering hostel, I got exposed to the Odia dalma. The Monday meal was always dalma, bhaata, aloo bharta, khatta and some chips(mind you not the tasteless packet ones but deep fried golden goodies of kalara or kundri or potola… though sometimes soggy because I was busy chatting in college with my then boyfriend and now husband). Some other day I shall talk about that… Today is dalma time…
Ingredients :
1 cup toor dal
1/2 cup mung dal ( the yellow one – slightly roasted so that it is aromatic and light brown)
Basic veggies :
1 cup pumpkin diced
1 cup raw papaya diced
1/2 cup brinjal diced
1/2 cup potato diced
1 tomato (small) – add it whole
For the chunka( tadka) :
2 table spoons Gua ghee
2 pinches hing
2 tsp pancha phutana
4-5 curry leaves or dhaniya patra (as per your choice)
1 dry red chillies ( add as per your taste)
4 cups water
salt
turmeric
one inch of ginger
Bhaja jeera lanka gunda – the cherry on the cake
2 tablespoons jeera(whole)
2-3 dry red chillies
Roast on a tawa till aromatic, stirring so as not to burn it. Let it cool and grind in a dry mixer. (Always close the lid of the dabba in which you store it)
Process :
Soak the toor dal for 30 mins. To a cooker, add the water, then the washed toor dal and mung dal. Add the crushed ginger and all the veggies, some salt and turmeric. The tomato can go in whole. Cook for one whistle on high. Let the pressure release on its own.
For the chunka, add ghee to a tadka pan. Then the phutana, hing, curry leaves, dry chillies. Search for the whole tomato from the boiled dalma and squish it into chunka. The chunka is key to the dalma and it must be done on a high flame for all the flavours to be released.
P.S. Keep everything ready or the chunka will get burnt
Add the chunka to the pressure cooker and cover immediately. Let it come to the boil. Taste and adjust the salt. Switch off the stove once it reaches a desired consistency. Then add the jeera lanka gunda and cover.
Viola… It s ready and goes well with steamed rice or ruti or puri.
Additions : On certain days,you can get creative with few drumsticks or add chunks of raw banana for the temple bhog effect, or the raw jackfruit and even the jackfruit seeds. The Kaartika maasa(holy month of prayers and charity in early winters) takes the dalma to another level with ou(elephant apple).
Foodforthesoul 