Dalma

Dalma is a soul-soothing comfort food from Odisha, a nutritious delicacy prepared with toor dal and a variety of seasonal vegetables. While the flavor of Dalma varies from one household to another, the most authentic version includes grated coconut and a drizzle of ghee, lending it the quintessential temple aroma and taste. This is One of the 56 items which is offered to Lord Jagannath. 

Ingredients

Servings: 4 persons

1. Toor Dal – 1 cup

2. Water – 3 cups

3. Orange pumpkin cubes – ¼ cup

4. Diced sweet potato – ¼ cup

5. Taro root (Arbi) – ¼ cup

6. Radish – ¼ cup

7. Yam (Desi aloo) – ¼ cup

8. Parwal – ¼ cup

9. Raw banana (small cubes) – ¼ cup

10. Asafoetida (Hing) – 1 tsp

11. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

12. Salt – 1 tbsp (adjust to taste)

13. Sugar or jaggery – 1 tbsp (or as per taste)

14. Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

15. Grated coconut – 3 tbsp

16. Grated ginger – 1 tbsp

17. Pure ghee – 2 tbsp

18. Nadi Nadi ¼  cup

Method Of Preparing 

1. Wash one cup of toor dal thoroughly and soak it in water for about 30 minutes. 

2. Lightly roast the Nadi Badi in a little ghee and set it aside.

3. Mix one teaspoon of hing in a tablespoon of water and keep it ready for later use. 

4. Cut all the vegetables into small cubes, keeping the pumpkin pieces slightly larger. To prevent discoloration, place the raw banana cubes in water. 

5.  In a large pan, bring three cups of water to a gentle boil over medium heat and add the soaked toor dal. Let it cook halfway.

6. Add the chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric powder, grated ginger, jaggery, and the prepared hing water. Cover the pan with a lid and allow everything to cook together for about 20 minutes, or until both the dal and vegetables are tender. 

7. At this point, add the roasted Nadi Badis. Lower the heat, sprinkle cumin seeds over the top of the dal, and immediately pour two tablespoons of hot ghee over them.

8.  Cover the lid quickly to retain the aroma and turn off the heat. Let the dish rest for five minutes. The Dalma is now ready to be offered to Lord Jagannath.

Note: For an authentic touch, Dalma is traditionally cooked in a clay pot, which retains heat and enhances flavor. In the Jagannath Puri temple kitchen, no spoon is used during cooking or stirring. You can use three to four varieties of vegetables, in case you do not have all of them.