Char Dal Ka Dalcha

Char Dal Ka Dalcha a small variation of typical Hyderabadi Kaddu ka Dalcha. A traditional Dalcha is normally made with channadal and kaddu(sorakaya, bottle gourd) or with lamb. Using Kaddu is a vegetarian version, a very good combination with Bagara annam. This is my second week in BM 29 and I have chosen Cooking from a book as my theme for this week. Under this theme I am going to cook two traditional Hyderabadi recipes, which are very popular in Hyderabadi cuisine. These two recipe are from Royal Hyderabadi Cooking written by Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and chef Harpal Sing Sokhi. This wonderful book includes some delicious Hyderabadi non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, some sweets from the royal cuisine.
For this theme Valli has given few ingredients and we have to pair them and cook so today my combination of ingredients are Channa dal and toover dal. Here is the recipe for delicious Char Dal Ka Dalcha....
                                                                     

 

INGREDIENTS:--

Channa dal ( bengal gram. spllit chick peas)  ---   1/4 cup

Masoor dal (split red lentils)  ----   2 tab sp

Toovar dal ( pigeon peas, kandi pappu) --- 1/4 cup

Moong dal (split green gram, pesarapappu)   --  2 tab sp

Turmeric powder  ---  1/2 tea sp

Red chilli powder  ---  1 tea sp

Tamarind  -- golf bal size

Onion --- 1 big sliced

Ginger paste  --- 2 tea sp

Green chillies --- 5 slit

Bottle gourd  --- 1 medium size peal and cut in to one inch cubes

 

 

FOR SEASONING:----

Pure ghee  --- 2 tab sp

Cumin seeds  ---  1 tea sp

Dry red chillies   --- 3 broken

Curry leaves  ---  15 leaves

Garlic cloves  --- 6 chopped.

METHOD:---

1.Soak all the dals in enough water for half an hour, after half an hour add turmeric, red chilli powder and 3 cups of water, pressure cook for three whistles. You can cook in a open pan till dal s are completely cooked.

2. Soak tamarind in warm water for ten minuets and squeeze out the pulp with one cup of water, strain and set a side.

3. Now heat oil in a pan add onion slices and fry till golden then add slit chillies, ginger paste saute for few seconds.

4. Add bottle gourd pieces  fry for a while then add cooked dals, salt to taste, cover and cook for ten minutes or till bottle gourd is tender.

5. After that add tamarind pulp and 1/2 cup water cover and cook in medium heat for five minutes stir in between the reduce the heat to low and cook for five more minutes.

6. Now heat ghee in a fry pan add cumin seeds when they starts changing the color add broken dry red chillies, chopped garlic cloves fry till garlic turns light golden add curry leaves fry for a while and add this seasoning to Dalcha cover the dalcha pan with a lid immediately to trap the flavors.

Serve hot with plain rice or Bara chaval or with Hyderabadi chicken biriyani.

This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 29th edition under  Cooking From A Book let's check other BM members recipes here.