Dalma Recipe –How to make Dalma in pressure cooker

Dalma is an extremely nutritious and delicious traditional dish of Odisha. It is a kind of cooked lentils (dal) which contains nutritious vegetables like papaya, eggplant etc.

Ingredients

• Pigeon Pea (Toor dal/Harad Dal) – 1 bowl
• Water – 3 bowl
• Cardamom – 1
• Cloves – 2
• Carrot – ¼ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Pumpkin – ¼ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Potato – ¼ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Tomato – 1 bowl (cut in medium size)
• Raw Banana – ¼ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Green Beans – ¼ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Brinjal/Eggplant – ½ bowl (cut in medium size)
• Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Green chili – 1 (cut in Julienne)
• Red chili – 1 whole
• Grated coconut – 4 tbsp
• Crushed ginger – 2 tbsp
• Cow ghee – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds powder – 2 tsp
• Curry masala – 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves – 4 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Salt – 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 2 tsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Instructions

1. Wash the Pigeon Pea (Toor dal) and soak in water for 20 mins.
2. Put a pressure cooker on medium flame and add 2 tbsp oil. Once hot, add cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, green chili, red chili and allow them to crackle for 10 secs.
3. Add crushed ginger and 2 tbsp grated coconut and sauté for 2 min. Now add tomato and saute for 2 mins. To this, add cumin seed powder and curry masala and sauté for 3 min.

4. Add the cut vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and mix well. Cover the lid (do not close) of the pressure cooker for 3 mins. Remove the lid and add the soaked Pigeon Pea (Toor dal/Harad dal) to the pressure cooker. Mix well.

5. Cover the lid again for 3 mins. Remove the lid, mix the contents well and add water. Be sure to add enough water to cover the vegetables. Close the pressure cooker lid tightly and wait for two whistles.

6. After two whistles, remove the pressure cooker from the flame and keep it aside. After some time, all the steam will come out and the lid will loosen automatically. Do not be in a hurry to remove the steam by yourself, otherwise the vegetables will not be able to soak the spices present in the water. The Dalma will lose its taste.

7. Open the pressure cooker and add ghee, coriander leaves, garam masala and grated coconut. Mix gently.

8. Serve hot with rice/roti/phulkas.


Let me know how it tasted. Please send me your feedback and requests at wakingdragon444@gmail.com.