Mention comfort food in front of an Odia and watch their minds go straight into the world of Usuna Bhata and dalma. Being an Odia myself, the idea of coming home to a comforting plate of steamed rice and dalma is all I need to end my day on a good note—not going to lie; the thing I have craved most during Delhi winters is a bowl of piping hot and delicious dalma to soothe my soul at the end of the day. Not only me but my entire family can be wooed just with a bowl of dalma served any time of the day. As winters are already here, we know you must be craving something wholesome, warm and delicious to savour. Hence, a few tips will help you make authentic Odia dalma at home.
- Make sure you add a bay leaf to your vessel while cooking the dal.
- The secret to an authentic bowl of dalma is sightly sweet and savoury notes hitting your palate. To instil these flavours in dalma, make sure you add some jaggery while cooking the vegetables.
- To make your dalma flavourful, crush some ginger and green chillies in a mortar and pestle and add them while cooking the vegetables.
- Once you are done cooking the vegetables and dal, add some grated coconut to your dalma and cook for 5-7 more minutes.
- Temper your dalma with ghee, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, coriander leaves and asafoetida. If you add onions and garlic to your tempering, don’t forget to add some coriander powder, garam masala and red chilli powder to eliminate the raw taste and pack more flavours.
Now that you know these tips, we hope you will be able to nail making authentic Odia dalma at home. Don’t forget to try the recipe and house and let us know how you like it.
