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Dalma Recipe

Dalma

Dalma is a traditional dish from Odisha, India, known for its wholesome combination of lentils and vegetables, seasoned with aromatic spices. This one-pot meal is not only nutritious but also comforting, making it a perfect choice for any day.
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Dalma
Servings: 4
Author: Chef Yogi

Ingredients

Dalma Masala

  • 20 no Peppercorns
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 4 no Kashmiri red chilies
  • 2 tsp Cumin seeds

Panch Phoran (Five Spice Mix)

  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds or Radhuni
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp Fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Nigella seeds

Dal and Vegetables

  • ¾ cup Toor dal Split Pigeon Pea
  • ¼ cup Moong dal Green Gram
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp Salt adjust to taste
  • 4 cups Water
  • 1 no Tomato medium size diced
  • 1 no Raw banana (Plantain) small size, diced
  • 1 cup Yam diced 75 g
  • 1 cup Potato diced 75 g
  • 1 cup Carrot diced 75 g
  • 1 no Drumstick (Moringa stick) medium size cut 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup Beans cut 1-inch pieces
  • 1 no Brinjal ( Eggplant) medium size diced
  • 1 cup Bottle gourd (Lauki) 70 g diced
  • 1 no Radish medium size diced

Tempering

  • 3 tbsp Mustard oil
  • 2 no whole red chilies
  • 1 tbsp Panch phoran mix
  • 1 tsp whole Cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp Ginger grated

Instructions

Dalma Masala

  • Dry roast the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, Kashmiri red chilies, and cumin seeds in a kadai over medium heat until fragrant (about 3–4 minutes).
    Dry roasting spices
  • Allow the mixture to cool, then grind it into a fine powder.
    Grinding roasted spices

Panch Phoran Mix

  • In a bowl, combine mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, and nigella seeds.
    Mixing seeds in a bowl
  • Mix well and store in an airtight container for future use.
    Mixed seeds

Cook Dal and Vegetables

  • Rinse the toor dal and moong dal under running water for about 2–3 times.
    toor and moong dal
  • Soak them in water for 30 minutes.
    Soaking dal in water
  • Drain the soaked dals and add them to a pressure cooker along with water, turmeric powder, and salt. Stir well. Cook without the lid on high flame for about 5 minutes.
    Cooking dal in pressure cooker
  • Add all the diced vegetables and pressure cook for one whistle on high flame followed by simmering on low flame for an additional 4 minutes.
    Adding vegetables to pressure cooker
  • Once done, let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.
    Releasing pressure from cooker

Tempering

  • In a separate pan, heat mustard oil over medium heat.
    Heating mustard oil
  • Add whole red chilies, cumin seeds and panch phoran mix; sauté until the spices start to splutter (about 30 seconds).
    Sautéing spices in oil
  • Add grated ginger, sauté for another minute until fragrant.
    Sautéing grated ginger
  • Add Dalma masala, on a low flame.
    Adding Dalma masala

Dalma Recipe

  • Pour the tempering over the cooked dal and vegetables; mix well. Add 1.3 cup water Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
    Pouring tempering over dal
  • Serve hot Dalma with steamed rice or jeera pulao.
    Serving hot Dalma

Notes

  • You can substitute Toor dal with chana dal or a mix of lentils as per your preference.
  • Store leftover Dalma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days; reheat before serving.
  • For added richness, garnish with fresh coconut shavings or coriander leaves before serving.
  • Panch Poran mix can be stored in the airtight container for the regular use.
  • Dalma masala can be used for the dal Tadka tempering also it will give rich in color and flavor.
  • Enjoy your delicious homemade Dalma!
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