Dalma memory lane

I have loved and craved for Dalma since , let me remember... yes.. probably since I was old enough to metabolize semi-solid food. Oriyas probably have this before they start having milk powder!

Lets see the starting line-up: The usual suspect "panch phutan" (This is what makes Oriya cuisine 5-star!) this time comes flavored with roasted jeera (cumin) and the oh-so-wonderful smell of ghee (clarified butter). It's the way I like my food - full of flavor, aroma to die for, yet balanced with nutrition and light on the stomach. (There are, of course, those times of sheer abandon when nothing can beat a deep fried pakoda - but hey, kids may be watching this blog!)

The trio of ghee, roasted cumin and panch phutan gets an added dimension with fresh ginger used in the tempering (tadka in hindi) process. All this flavors a prdemoniantly tuberous/fibrous mixture of vegetables (potato, sweet potato, raw banana, raw papaya, pumpkin, eggplant and tomato) and daal (toor / arhar). Not all types of vegetables go well here - the mantra is to stay close to the tuberous and fibrous formula. I have seen variations that include radish, exclude tomato, include slices onions! - So go on - try your own improvisation.

Just a warning - Common veggies that just dont go with dalma are okra, beans, cabbage and cauliflower. I have never tried carrots either.

You need:
1 cup toor/arhar daal

Bite-size chunks of:
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup raw papaya
1 mid-sized potato
1 cup eggplat
1 large tomato
..and
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 bay leaf
Few peppercorns

For tempering
1 tsp ghee
1 tbsp ginger
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Couple of dried red chilis
1 tsp panch phutan

For garnish
1 tsp roasted and ground cumin

and Salt to taste!

Start by soaking the daal for 40-45 mins. I usually soak it well, since I like my dalma gooey! In the meantime, chop all your veggies, ginger and roast the cumin and grind it (if you have a spice grinder, this can be real quick! I usually roast my cumin once in a while and store them away in the spice box).

Put the lentils, veggies, ginger with bay leaf in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and cook on medium heat for around 15-20 mins (or 2-3 whistles)

For tempering, heat the ghee in a pan and add the asafoetida, panch phutan, red chilis, ginger. Once they start crackling, add them into your pressure cooker to the veggie mix

Garnish with roasted ground cumin.

Eat with steamed rice, or plain rotis! I like to squeeze lime and add ghee into my rice when I have dalma. If you do the same, that makes two of us!! Remember - the only thing better than getting to eat dalma, is to be able to make it yourself, so you can have the flavors of your childhood - in your home, anywhere you are!

Go on, get nostalgic!