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Serving some Vegetarian Dalcha with Bhagara rice
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5 from 13 votes

A Delectable Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe

A vegetarian alternative to Hyderabadi Mutton Dalcha that goes well with rice, pulao, biryani or even rotis. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soaking time:30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian
Keyword: Bottle Gourd Recipes, Festive Cooking, Indian Curry, Lentils, No meat, Protein-Rich Food, Vegetarian Dalcha Recipe, Yam Recipes
Servings: 15 people
Calories: 171kcal
Author: ArchanaPotdar

Equipment

  • Kadhai/wok
  • Spoons and Ladles
  • chutney jar of mixer/blender
  • Pressure cooker
  • Knife

Ingredients

For the Garam Masala:

  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoon cloves
  • 2 tablespoon peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds or shah jeera
  • 1 tablespoon cardamom

For the Green masala:

  • ½ cup mint leaves
  • 1 cup coriander leaves
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • 1 tablespoon ginger grated Or ½ inch piece ginger
  • 2-3 green chillies adjust as per taste
  • water to grind

For the Veg. Dalcha:

  • ½ cup split red lentil
  • ¼ cup split bengal gram lentil
  • 1 cup bottle gourd cut in pieces
  • 1 cup yam optional cut in pieces
  • 2 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 onions finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon green masala
  • 4 tablespoon tamarind pulp
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • salt to taste

For the Soya Chunks:

  • 1 cup soya chunks optional
  • 3 cups Water
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon green masala
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

Instructions

To make the Garam Masala:

  • On low flame roast the ingredients till you get an aroma.
    1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoon cloves, 2 tablespoon peppercorns, 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon cardamom
  • Cool and grind.
  • Store in an airtight container.

To make the Green masala:

  • Add the coriander leaves, mint, ginger, garlic and green chillies to the mixer and grind to a fine paste using water.
    ½ cup mint leaves, 1 cup coriander leaves, 1 garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2-3 green chillies, water

Boiling the Soya Chunks:

  • Add water and salt to taste in a vessel.
    3 cups Water, salt
  • Add 1 tablespoon green masala and 1 tablespoon green masala. Bring to boil.
    1 tablespoon green masala, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • Add the soya chunks and boil for 10 minutes. Cover and set aside till needed.
    1 cup soya chunks

To make the Veg Dalcha Recipe:

  • In a vessel wash and rinse the split red lentil and bengal gram dal. Let them soak for about 30 minutes.
    ½ cup split red lentil, ¼ cup split bengal gram lentil
  • Add the yam, bottle gourd pieces in the dal, add a tablespoon of the green masala,  1 tomato and mix.
    1 cup bottle gourd, 1 cup yam
  • Cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles lower the flame and cook for 5 minutes. In my futura I cooked on low flame for 15 minutes.
  • Let the pressure drop naturally. Get the mixture out of the cooker.
  • Heat clarified butter/ oil in a deep pot. Splutter mustard.
    2 tablespoon clarified butter, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • Add the finely chopped onion and saute till the onion is light golden brown.
    2 onions
  • Add the tomato and cook till mushy. (Since my tomatoes are bit on the greener side they needed me to add some water to cook them down).
    3 tomatoes
  • Add the green masala paste about 2 tablespoon and fry till the oil oozes out. Add turmeric and red chilli powder.
    ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 tablespoon green masala, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • Add the 2 tablespoon of tamarind pulp initially. Only if your yam is itchy add the other 2 tablespoon of tamarind pulp.
    4 tablespoon tamarind pulp
  • Add the cooked dal mixture, salt, garam masala, water( use the water used to rinse the mixer) and mix well.
  • Now I added a little extra salt so added one chopped potato and boiled the mixture till the potato cooker.
    salt
  • Once done get the dal off the flame. Add the soya chunks.

Video

Notes

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 needs 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).

Nutrition

Serving: 130g | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 3g