Habisha Dalma

Durga puja is followed by the auspicious month of Kartik. In Orissa a lot of people turn vegetarian for a month and follow the fast of "Bada Ausa" on every monday of this month. Even a lot of people like my   parents even give up onion and garlic for the whole month. During the bada ausa the ladies who follow the fast eat only one meal a day, so most of the ladies prepare this special dalma called "habisha alma" with rice and may be some kind of saag and eat it after doing the puja late in the day but before suset so that they would not feel hungry during the night and would have some energy to carry out for the rest of the evening.
This dalma is the only one curry in Odiya culture that is prepared without  turmeric, as only during inauspicious occasions people not use turmeric   is cooking.
Also we do not use potato in this dish, its prohibited.
Ingredients:

  1. Muga Dali : 1cup
  2. Saru (Arby) :2 cut into small square pieces
  3. Kancha Kadali (Raw Plantain) :2 cut into small square pieces
  4. Kandamula (Sweet patato): cut into small square pieces little bit, about one handful 
  5. Oau: 4/5 long pieces, soaked in water if dried ( this is one item that I did not add as I could not find here)
  6. Long Beans: cut into 1/2 inch pieces about 1/2 cup
  7. Yam: 1/2 cup, cut into small square pieces ( I used the pre-cut frozen ones)
  8. Ghee: 2 tbsp
  9. Jeera (Cummin Seeds): 1tbsp
  10. Dry Chili: 2
  11. Salt  to taste
  12. Jeera Lanka Gunda (Roasted Cumin & Chili Powder); 1 tbsp
  13. Grated Coconut: 1/4 cup

Procedure:
In a pan dry roast the mung dal for 10 mins, remove it from heat and soak it for 30 mins.
Boil the dal in a vessel with only salt and water.
When it is cooked half way add all the vegetable except Oau (saru, kadali, yam, long bean and Kandamula) and let it cook with the lid on. 
When the vegetables are about 3/4th Cooked add the Aau to this (ofcourse I had to skip this step as I could not find any ). 
When vegetables are fully cooked reduce the heat and let it simmer on low flame.
In another pan heat ghee, cumin seeds, dry chili and as the cumin seeds stop spluttering and pour the tadka to the dalma and let it simmer for another 2 mins and turn of the heat.
Add roasted Jeera Lanka Gunda to the dalma and stir well.

It is ready, before serving add 1/4 cup of grated coconut and serve with plain rice and ghee and may be a side like Saag, Potala (parwal) aloo bhaja and enjoy.


I don't follow the auspicious "bada ausa" but I do turn vegetarian for a month. This is one of my favorite dalma's and this year I have been missing my mom's food so I finally decided to prepare this delicious dalma and share with my lovely readers.
Eat healthy and remain blessed this auspicious month.
Till then happy blogging
Rakhee

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