Dalcha
Dal? Mutton? On days when you can’t decide which way to swing, dalcha presents the perfect answer. This delicacy prepared by cooking tender mutton pieces with Bengal gram lentils and infused with whole spices and caramelised onions is an all-time favourite in H
yderabad, and for good reason.Ingredients
Chanay ki Dal/Chana dal – 1 cup
Green chilies – 3, chopped
Tomatoes – 2, large, chopped
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Onion – 1/4 cup, finely sliced
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Dry red chilies – 2, each broken into two
Lamb meat with bones/Lamb shanks – 500 gms
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
BottleGourd/Kaddu – 1, medium sized, peeled and cut into diamond shape (optional)
Tamarind extract – 1 cup
Cilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Method:
1.
Soak
the dal for 1-2 hours in fresh cool water. Later drain the dal and rinse it in
a wire mesh under running water. Add this soaked dal to a pressure cook, pour
in about 3 cups of fresh cool water, chopped green chilies, tomatoes and salt.
Close the lid and pressure cook until the dal is mushy. Puree it in a blender
until smooth and keep aside.
2. In a separate pressure cooker at medium high heat pour in oil and as soon as it is warm, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, sliced onion and stir fry until the onion is lightly golden brown in color. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry along for a minute. Add dried red chilies, lamb bones/shanks, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Pour in fresh cool water to cover the meat and pressure cook until the meat is tender.
3. Add bottle gourd pieces (Kadu)and mix well. Add little more water to cover them and again pressure cook for 1 whistle. (Skip this step if you are not adding bottle gourd)
4. Add the pureed dal mixture and mix well. Add about 2-3 cups of fresh cool water and tamarind extract to get a pouring consistency (not too thick or too thin) and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add cilantro and stir to mix. Serve warm
2. In a separate pressure cooker at medium high heat pour in oil and as soon as it is warm, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, sliced onion and stir fry until the onion is lightly golden brown in color. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry along for a minute. Add dried red chilies, lamb bones/shanks, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Pour in fresh cool water to cover the meat and pressure cook until the meat is tender.
3. Add bottle gourd pieces (Kadu)and mix well. Add little more water to cover them and again pressure cook for 1 whistle. (Skip this step if you are not adding bottle gourd)
4. Add the pureed dal mixture and mix well. Add about 2-3 cups of fresh cool water and tamarind extract to get a pouring consistency (not too thick or too thin) and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add cilantro and stir to mix. Serve warm
Bottle Gourd/Kaddu, Canola Oil, Chane ki Dal, Cilantro/Kothmir (fresh), Cumin seeds/Zeera, Curry leaves (fresh), Dried Red Chilies, Ginger-Garlic paste, Green Chilies, Hyderabadi special, Lamb/Beef/Mutton/Sheep, Red Chilli powder, Salt/Namak, Tamarind/Imli Tomato/Tamatar (fresh), Turmeric/Haldi, Yellow Onion/Pyaaz
Daalcha is one such true Hyderabadi preparation. The Nizami cuisine of Hyderabad is not just about Biryani and Mirchi ka Salan, or an assortment of meat concoctions unlike considered. It has to its repertoire many vegetarian and especially dal (lentil) preparations that are deeply related to the inimitable flavors of Nizami cuisine. Basically, there are two variations to daalcha, one is the vegetarian version – which can be prepared with either opo squash eggplants or drumsticks, and the other non-vegetarian version – made by adding meat bones to the tangy tempered dal. To impress your guests, serve daalcha gosht along with baghara khana and phalli gosht the way it is served traditionally at Hyderabadi households.
I have added a few bottle gourd pieces to Daalcha Gosht, you can skip adding them if you want only meat in the dal.