Dalcha can easily be called a silent killer. Yes famous among its peers yet not so well known outside its crowd. While everybody knows and raves about Biryani, not many may know how important a dalcha is, when you talk about Biryani. Especially when it's a nonvegetarian biryani. Growing up in a nonvegetarian family I have often heard about Dalcha being talked about in reference to Biryani. Yet I never saw Amma preparing this often. It mostly belonged to the Muslim families, who make this with nonveg added to the gravy. So you can imagine I never got around tasting it.
Yet during one of my conversation with our family friends who are experts in making Dalcha including the Muslim biryanis, I came to know that not all of them make a dalcha with nonveg included. I was really so happy knowing that. Our family friend shared two recipes, one that I have kept aside for my book. The other one happens to be what Amma got from her. This is completely different from the other one, yet equally good.
As I was talking about how my hubby dear refuses to eat just plain Veg Biryani with Raitha, this is yet another gravy that has come to our rescue. We are still enjoying a relatively relaxed holiday with kids. Konda's school reopens 1st of June and she will be getting her books by the last week. While I was dreading the fact that there will be loads of books literally that I have to cover, FIL has promised to come down to help me.
Coming to the recipe, this is very healthy as it has different vegetables added to it along with dal.
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Ingredients
Vegetables Used
1 cup Bottle Gourd, chopped
3 medium Brinjal
1 medium Carrot
5 Beans
1 medium Potato
1 medium Tomato
Dals Used
1/2 cup Toor Dal
1/2 cup Chana Dal / Bengal Gram
For the Paste
1 tsp Coconut Paste
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Poppy Seeds / Gasa Gasa Powder
For the Gravy
1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 marble size Tamarind
For Seasoning
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves, handful
Instructions
Wash and soak the dals for 10 mins.
Chop all the vegetables and keep it aside.
Make a smooth paste with coconut, cloves, cinnamon, and poppy seeds.
In a pressure cooker, take everything excluding the seasoning, add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles, switch off.
Once pressure is all released, add the tamarind juice bring to a boil.
Finally season the gravy with mustard, curry leaves.Curry Leaves, handful
Recipe
How to make Dalcha
Ingredients
Vegetables Used
- 1 cup Bottle Gourd chopped
- 3 medium Brinjal chopped
- 1 medium Carrot chopped
- 5 medium Beans chopped
- 1 medium Potato chopped
- 1 medium Tomato chopped
Dals Used
- 1/2 cup Toor Dal
- 1/2 cup Chana Dal / Bengal gram
For the Paste
- 1 tsp Coconut Paste
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp Poppy Seeds / Gasa Gasa powder
For the Gravy
- 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 marble size Tamarind
For Seasoning
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- Curry Leaves handful
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dals for 10 mins.
- Chop all the vegetables and keep it aside.
- Make a smooth paste with coconut, cloves, cinnamon, and poppy seeds.
- In a pressure cooker, take everything excluding the seasoning, add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistle, switch off.
- Once pressure is all released, add the tamarind juice bring to boil.
- Finally, season the gravy with mustard, and curry leaves.
Vardhini says
So different and yummy. In fact have never heard of Dalcha before. It has a lot of healthy ingredients like dal, veggies and so on. Good one.
harini-jaya says
Good one. My husband will be happy to have such a curry for Biryani 🙂
Pavani says
Dalcha looks delicious. I just realized that I have a dalcha recipe on my blog too, but I sued only sorakaya. Your version with all the veggies sounds yummy.
vaishali sabnani says
lots of veggies !!I have always loved the combo of veggies with daals...grt ...need to try!!
Sarah says
I never knew about dalcha! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 And what a nice side-dish for biriyani!
PJ says
Very new to me and it surely sounds easy and delicious.
divya says
This looks inviting and delicious...
Mom Chef says
nice combo of dals and sabjis.. am sure the poppoy masala paste would add to be a great ingredient to this dish 🙂 btw Srivalli would you have a perfect recipe for a hyderabadi veg biryani??
Aarthi says
Yummy...will give a try soon
Babli says
Very nice and interesting recipe. Dalcha looks delicious and tempting. Thanks for your lovely recipe.
Saras says
I too will prepare dalcha in same way..Thanks for sharing dear...
Priya says
Had this dalcha long back, wonderful dish to serve along with briyani, looks marvellous and yummy..
Mina Joshi says
The Dalcha looks delicious. I was pleased to note that it's not too complicated to make. Reading about getting books for your daughter and covering them remined me of my childhood!! For some reason, no one covers their books here in UK. Not sure why.
Ambreen says
Looks delicious & very interesting recipe!
Usha says
When growing up, we use to eat this a lot at my paternal grandma's place. Every dasara, it was a must. However, I don;t remember eating it with biryani though... It could be because my paternal family likes their biryani with raita, including myself and my maternal family & married family prefer to have it with some shorva (gravy curry).
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
This is a very new recipe, I mean even the name. Sounds like a great gravy for any rice dish or even rotis.
Krithi's Kitchen says
Hooray, I love dalcha! and with briyani.. match made in heaven… love your version..
sushma says
Hd dalcha once at my friends place. Tastes good
Suma Gandlur says
I have heard about the Hyderabadi dalcha but have never tried so far. Your version is tempting me to try.
Srivalli says
Thank you everybody.
MinaI wonder why not..here we still got to cover the books, it kind of feels good and I used to look fwd to doing it some years ago. Now with 3 sets of books to do, it's exhausting..:)
veena krishnakumar says
very new to make. Yours looks lovely. I think i will try this out
Anonymous says
Addling young (not ripe) green banana slices (about .25 inch thick) would be a nice addition to Dalcha. This is always done in the muslim recipe for Dalcha.
s says
mam,
you have mentioned 05 nos beans, can you tell the names
Srivalli says
No I meant the quantity. Since its a mixed vegetables, you can just use 5 beans.