No matter how much Bengalis love to eat fish and meat, their list of dishes on vegetarian days is not at all less. They will prepare all kinds of dishes with greens, vegetables, and pulses that you cannot even imagine. One such dish is Dhokar Dalna, which is made with dal batter. Dhokar Dalna is very popular in Bengali cuisine. This dalna is a must-have especially for vegetarians. Everyone from young to old loves to eat this dhoka. Find out the Dhokar Dalna recipe quickly.
Bengalis who love flavors bring variety to their food in many ways. Sometimes by boiling food items and sometimes by changing the shape. In addition, there are various kinds of spices in the kitchen. Paturi, Muithya are Bengali's very own dishes. They have presented all these ingredients to the world in their own cooking style.
Just as garlic and onion are used to bring variety to the daily rice and dal, this dal is also made into a curry by making it into a dalna. And instead of making it into a dal, a special change is made to go beyond the traditional way and is first stirred with spices. Now it is cut into bars and made into dhoka. Again, this gram dal is used to make a popular dish in Rajasthan, 'Gatte ki Sabji'.
Dhokar Dalna is va ery popular recipe in Bengali cuisine. This dalna is especially popular in vegetarian dishes. Everyone from young to old loves to eat this dalna. However, many people have various questions about why dalna is called such a delicious food. There are also several opinions on this. Dal is a very good source of protein.
It is said that in the past, when people were deprived of non-vegetarian food, dalna was introduced to meet the protein requirement in vegetarian dishes and it was recognized as a food to meet the protein deficiency. Since then, the fame of dalna has been increasing. Nowadays, dalna is often seen as a vegetarian dish in any event.
Almost every day, fish or meat is served at home. Even the most beloved dishes start to get boring after eating them every day. Then you want to look for an alternative dish. One such alternative dish to eat with rice or roti can be Dhokar Dalna. This traditional vegetarian dish is a must-have in the morning of a ceremony. Check out how to make this popular and delicious dish.
Ingredients :
- 200 grams chickpeas
- 1 inch chopped ginger
- 3 chopped raw chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Mustard oil as needed (for deep frying)
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder :
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups hot water
- Salt to taste
- 2 Bay leaves
- 5 cardamom
- 2 cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 3 tablespoons ghee
Method:
- Soak the chickpeas overnight and drain the water in the morning.
- Then mix the chickpeas, chopped ginger, and chopped green chilies well to make a mixture.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
- Now add gram flour, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt and keep stirring. After stirring for about three minutes on medium heat, the mixture will become firm and the water will dry out.
- Now grease a plate with oil and place the mixture on it. Flatten the mixture with your hands and cut it into diamond shapes with a knife. Once it cools down a bit, deep fry it in a pan and set aside.
- Now heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel and asafoetida. When the aroma comes out, add grated ginger and stir for a while.
- Now add tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder. Sprinkle a little water and keep stirring until the tomatoes become smooth. Then add salt to taste.
- Now add hot water, cover and let it cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and add the dhokas and mix well. Cover again and keep it on low flame for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and add the garam masala and sugar and turn off the flame.
- Remove and serve with hot rice or paratha.
