A Delectable Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe

A vegetarian alternative to Hyderabadi Mutton Dalcha. It goes well with rice, pulao, biryani or even rotis. 

Dalcha is a delicious and healthy lentil-based dish. Traditionally it is made with vegetables and mutton. Simply divine, this Hydrabadi Dalcha is an easy and hearty vegetarian stew from the Nizam’s Cuisine that is served with biryani. Serve it with your daily meal or eat it by itself, this is an easy stew to try!

Dalcha is not sambhar nor a regular dal or kurma. The spices and the ingredients make it different and delicious. Serve Dalcha with Jeera Rice, Bhagara Rice, Dodkyacha Bhat aka Ridge Gourd Rice or any biryani like my Raw Jackfruit Biryani Rice.

Contents:

• My relationship to the recipe Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe
• Why make MSK Vegetarian Dalcha recipe
• How to make Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe
• For Your Question
• Other Recipes to serve with Dalcha 
• Recipe Card
• Pin for later

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My relationship to the recipe Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe:

My niece was getting married this November. Hubby and I decided to drive down for it, to Nanded, Maharashtra. Yes, the same Nanded that has the famous Sachkhand Gurudwara.

Since it was a 16 hours journey by road we decided to stay at Sholapur. An old classmate Ajay and his wife, Seema organised our stay. More importantly, they fed us amazing food. They organised a picnic lunch cooked by Seema. We had Jowar rotis, methi kharda, Sholapur chutney, spiced buttermilk, baingan bharta, thick curds, curd rice, fruits! It was so lovely.

I am trying to remember everything I ate from gulab jamun to mutton biryani and delicious curry with nuggets of mutton. The one dish that was etched in our memory is Dalcha rice. I had to make it! The recipe is, of course, by Seema and Ajay.

Why make MSK Vegetarian Dalcha recipe:

Make this MSK Vegetarian Dalcha recipe as it is 

• A vegetarian comfort dish
• Gluten-free
• Healthy
• Crowd pleaser
• Pairs well with any Indian dish
• You can make it vegan
• Great for any occasion or everyday meal

How to make Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe:

These are the ingredients you will need to make Dalcha. For exact measures please check the recipe card.

Ingredients:

For the Dalcha:

• Split red lentil
• Split Bengal gram lentil
• Bottle gourd 
• Yam (optional) 
• Soya chunks(optional)
• Clarified butter
• Mustard seeds
• Turmeric
• Red chilli powder
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Green masala
• Garam masala.
• Tamarind pulp

For Garam Masala:

• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Peppercorns
• Caraway seeds/ shah jeera
• Cardamom

For Green masala:

• Mint leaves
• Coriander leaves
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green chillies adjust as per taste
• Water  

Method:

First, make the Garam Masala:

• Dry roast the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, caraway seeds/ shah jeera cardamom till you get an aroma.
• Transfer to a plate and cool.
• Grind to a fine powder in a chutney jar or a dry grinder.
• Store in an airtight container.

Second, make the Green masala:

• Add mint leaves, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger, green chillies adjust as per taste and grind.
• Add water as needed to make a fine paste.

Third, get the dal and veggies ready:

• In a big vessel wash, rinse and soak the split red lentil and Bengal gram dal for about 30 minutes. This helps the dal to cook fast and also helps digestion.
• Peel and chop the yam and bottle gourd. 
• Add to the vessel that holds the dal, add 2 tablespoons of the green masala, 1 tomato and mix.

• Cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Lower the flame and cook for 5 minutes. In my Futura Cooker, I cooked on low flame for 15 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally. Get the mixture out of the cooker. If you are like me you will stir the mixture. I love the aroma of the cooked dal.

Boiling the Soya Chunks:

• In the vessel boil water with salt, 1 tablespoon green masala and ¼ teaspoon garam masala.
• Add the soya chunks and boil for about 10 minutes. Cover and set aside till needed.

Let us start making the Dalcha now:

• Heat clarified butter/oil in a deep pot. Splutter mustard.
• Add the finely chopped onion and saute till the onion is light golden brown.
• Add the tomato and cook until mushy. (Since my tomatoes are a bit on the greener side they needed me to add some water to cook them down).  
• Add the green paste about 2 tablespoon and fry till the oil oozes out. Add turmeric and chilli powder.
• Add 2 tablespoon of tamarind pulp. If your yam is itchy add the other 2 tablespoon of tamarind pulp. 

• Add the cooked dal mixture, salt and ¼ teaspoon of the garam masala, water (use the water used to rinse the mixer) and mix well.
• Here, I accidentally added too much salt. So, I added one chopped potato and boiled the mixture till the potato was cooked.
• Once done get the dal off the flame. Add the soya chunks.

 How to serve Dalcha:

• Since my father-in-law will not eat soya chunks I have added the chunks in individual bowls. 
• Add the Bhagara rice to a plate.  Dish the Dalcha in an individual serving bowl.
• I paired it with Bhagara Rice Recipe (recipe coming soon) but you can pair it with plain rice, jeera rice, roti, biryani of your choice.
• I also enjoyed it in a bowl as a stew with no accompaniments.

Substitutes:

• You can add any vegetable you wish, like brinjal. I have used yam to give the Dalcha meaty texture. I added potatoes because I accidentally added too much salt.
• Skip the soya chunks if you wish to, but the soya chunks give a nice chewy texture.
• Use oil in place of butter if you want a vegan curry.
• Reduce the amount of coriander in the green masala for a browner curry.
• You can also add mutton pieces to the curry if you want a non-veg curry.

Variations:

Now my veg dalcha here is pretty mild. You can make it

• Spicy: add more green chilli while grinding your green masala. You can also add red chilli powder to suit your taste later.
• Kid friendly: I suggest you mash up all the veggies. I know my kids will adorn the edges of teh pate with all the veggies they do not like.
• Non-vegetarian: Brown meat of your choice and then cook it. Check this mutton dalcha recipe.

Equipment:

The equipment I used here are listed below:

How to store:

• You can store the Dalcha in the refrigerator for a day.
• If you want to store it for longer, it should last up to 15 days in the freezer. I have not tried freezing it so if you do, let me know.

For Shhhh! Secretly cooking my partner is Narmadha of Nams Corner. Narmadha bakes amazing cakes and cookies in the Wok. Her Ragi cookies are something on my to-do list for ages now.

Now Narmadha gave me 2 secret ingredients: Garam masala and mint. Perfect for me! Her secret ingredients were coconut oil and oats. Check her recipe out.

For Your Questions:

Protips:

• As you cook the quantity grows. So use a smaller cup to measure the dals. I used my everyday katori and we ate the Dalcha for 2 days after distribution.
• Use any veggies you have at hand.
• The mint and coriander proportions need to be 1:1.
• If you want to make Vegan Dalcha avoid the use of clarified butter or ghee.

Frequently asked Questions:

• If I am making mutton Dalcha should I add veggies?

  Yes, you should. I have used yam because it has a meat-like texture. But bottle gourd is the main ingredient in any Dalcha. You can avoid all the other veggies.
  

• Can I make Dalcha with chicken?

  Yes, Mutton or Chicken can be used to make Dalcha.
  

• Are lentils necessary in making Dalcha?

  Dalcha is a gruel and uses lentils as one of the ingredients. the lentils also help thicken it. You can use Bengal gram lentil (Chana dal), Pigeon pea lentil (toor dal), Red lentil (Masoor Dal) or even split Yellow lentil (Moong Dal).
  

Other Recipes to serve with Dalcha :

Recipe card:

Nutritional Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Please check with your nutritionist for your dietary needs and restrictions. Ultimately you are responsible for your decisions.

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