Odia dalma

Dalma combines dal and vegetables in Odia cooking. Sujata Satpathy’s selected recipe uses arhar dal with raw papaya, parwal and potato, followed by a fried seasoning mixture.

The vegetables are washed and cut into small pieces. They are pressure cooked with the dal, salt, turmeric powder and water, and the cooker is opened after its pressure releases.

Cooking oil is heated in a separate pan. Cumin, mustard, bay leaves, chopped onion and dried chillies are fried until the mixture turns golden brown.

This whole seasoning mixture is added to the same cooked dal and vegetables and stirred through. Ground cumin and chilli powder follow before the covered dish is heated further.

The publisher recommends serving this version hot. Rice is selected as its separate accompaniment, bringing together the dal, vegetable pieces and the onion-and-spice seasoning.