Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Dhokar Dalna/Bengali Lentils Cakes Curry~~SN Challenge

Dhokar dalna is a traditional Bengali lentil cakes curry which is served during pooja or as a part of a meal.This lentils cakes cooked in tomato, coconut milk and cashew raisin paste is a pure Sativk dish, that means this dish doesnt need neither onions nor garlic. This dish is also served during special occasions like weddings to the widows who are not allowed to intake onions and garlic. This dish in my to do list since a long, but somehow i wasnt able to do this dish and taste them.This dhokar dalna is a favourite dish of most of the Bengalis. Dhoka means' to cheat' in sanskirt and still is a mystery why this dish is named as though. Even Bengalis doesnt know the reason for it. Yea some dishes doesnt need the meaning of their name,wat we all need is the taste of this dish na. Am enjoying rite now this dish with rice as my lunch, trust me its seriously mindblowing,delicious,super flavourful and nutritious on the same time.

Every first of the month, i'll be posting a North Indian dish as am a part of the famous South vs North challenge, an event started by Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook. The motto of this event is to exchange an Indian recipe between two teams. One team is Southern team (bloggers  born and brought in South India) and the another one team is Northern team (food bloggers born and brought in North India). Every first of a month, a blogger from each team will challenge a recipe from their origin and the opposite team have to cook the recipe challenged by the other team.

For our this month's challenge, Nabanita Das of Esho-Bosho-Aahare challenged the Southern team with this famous Bengalo Dhokar Dalna while Roha of Hyderbadi Cuisine challenged the Northern team with a rich and droolworthy Qubani Ka Meeta,the fmous Hyderbadi apricot dessert. Both challenges are mindblowing and love to make some Qubani ka meeta too soon.


Lentil cakes:
1cup Channadal/Bengal gram
1/2cup Dried green peas/Split peas dal/split yellow peas (since i dont have yellow peas,i used split green peas)
1/2cup Grated coconut
1tsp Ginger paste
1/2tsp Asafoetida powder
1tsp Onion seeds/Nigella seeds
2nos Green chillies (chopped)
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
1/4tsp Baking soda
2tbsp Oil for cooking the batter
Oil for frying

Soak the channa dal, split greenpeas or split yellow peas (not the toor dal neither fried gram dal) for 4hours.

Now grind the soaked dal as coarse paste with green chillies.

Add the onions seeds,ginger paste,turmeric powder,salt,grated coconut,baking soda to the grounded batter.

Mix well and keep aside.

In a kadai, heat the oil, fry the asafoetida powder, add the batter and stir continuouly in simmer until the batter turns thick and get off from the bottom of the kadai.

Transfer the cooked batter to a greased plate, flatten them and keep aside to cool.

With a knife,cut the cooled batter as any shape as u desire.

Deep fry now this sliced pieces until they turns light brown colour and keep aside.


For curry:
3nos Potatoes (medium & cubed)
1no Tomato (big & chopped)
3nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1tbsp Garam masala powder
1tsp Red chilly powder
1tsp Turmeric powder
1/4cup Cashew+raisin paste
2cup Coconut milk (thick milk)
1/2cup Grated coconut
1tbsp Ginger paste
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
2tsp Cumin seeds
Salt
Oil for cooking

Soak the raisins and cashew in hot water for half an hour, grind as fine paste and keep aside.

Heat 2tbsp oil, add half of the turmeric powder, salt to the cubed potatoes, fry it in the hot oil until they turns crispy,remove from the oil and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a kadai, now add the asafoetida,cuminseeds, bay leaves, fry until they turns brown.

Add the slit opened green chillies,ginger paste and fry for few minutes.

Add now the chopped tomatoes and fry everything until the tomatoes turns mushy.

Now add the red chilly powder,cumin seed powder,garam masala powder,turmeric powder to the cooking tomatoes and cook for few more minutes,until the oil comes out.

Add the grated coconut,coconut milk to them and cook for few minutes.

Finally add the already prepared cashew raisins paste,fried potatoes,cook again everything in simmer until the gravy turns bit thick.

Add water if need to adjust the gravy consistency.

Finally add the fried lentil cakes, sprinkle the garam masala powder on the top,cover and put off the stove.

Serve dhokar dalna with rice topped with few drops of ghee

Notes:
Once the fried lentil cakes are added to the gravy, dont forget to the serve the dish, else the gravy will turns thick.

While frying the lentil cakes, be careful some make break,but dont worry.

50 comments:

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

looks super good Priya! I knew u will be first one to post the recipe. Still dontt know how u can managine to do that fast!

virunthu unna vaanga said... Reply To This Comment

Dhokar romba super aks... ippove sapidanum pole iruku.... semma fast...

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

looks so delicious and lovely click aks !! you are super duper fast aks :)

nayana said... Reply To This Comment

very nice dish priya and as usual perfectly done......

meena said... Reply To This Comment

lovely clicks,it is so tempting .

Laxmipriya said... Reply To This Comment

super fast.. even i predicted that u'll make it fast.. btw the curry looks great. like the shape of the lentil cakes.. :)

Shanthi said... Reply To This Comment

very interesting curry...

Todays recipe:http://www.7aumsuvai.com/2013/04/varagarisi-sadham-varagu-sadham-kodo.html#.UYER6LWG0YE

Sandhya Ramakrishnan said... Reply To This Comment

Looks super delicious! I am sure it would have tasted wonderful with rice and ghee :)

Nithya said... Reply To This Comment

Wow.. Love the way you presented the recipe.. You are so fast akka..

divya said... Reply To This Comment

looks scrumptiously tasty dear

Sharanya palanisshami said... Reply To This Comment

Yummy akka ............... super fast post...........

Vineetha Sush said... Reply To This Comment

If I make tell this name and give it my my lil one he will jump and come to eat food thinking its some sweet thing :) Like the cute cake things in the gravy aks :)

cookbookjaleela said... Reply To This Comment

Priya mika arumai, jet past...
undanee seythu saappidanum pol irukku.

Rumana Rawat said... Reply To This Comment

You are so fast in making all the dishes .. Very delicious...

lubnakarim06 said... Reply To This Comment

Looks extremely delectable....I love the medley of flavours in this recipe...

Janani said... Reply To This Comment

Just like I expected rocket speed lady it looks very good but how did u manage with split green peas what does that mean patani ya

Shama Nagarajan said... Reply To This Comment

delicious akka....

Nisa Homey said... Reply To This Comment

Dhokar looks yum...

Priya Anandakumar said... Reply To This Comment

Very lovely and tempting...

kitchen flavours said... Reply To This Comment

A lovely curry! Looks delicious!

Nisha said... Reply To This Comment

Never heard of this preparation looks delicious

great-secret-of-life said... Reply To This Comment

new to me.. Perfectly done

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

Wow Priya this is so good!

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

healthy and filling curry...very nicely done...
Anu's Healthy Kitchen

eshoboshoaahare.blogspot.in said... Reply To This Comment

Hello Priya... you are just like Bullet train... What a presentation... Dhoka looks so yumm and tempting... You made exactly perfect... Superb.

Ruxana Gafoor said... Reply To This Comment

looks real yummy...

Archana said... Reply To This Comment

Beautifully done. I have never heard of this dish bu it looks yum.

saffronstreaks said... Reply To This Comment

Wow dhokar dalna ! you did a splendid job Priya ! Even we Bong shied away from making this. Lokks absolutely delish !

Sanoli Ghosh said... Reply To This Comment

Oh God! Akka, you are trully a super woman. So perfectly you made dhokar dalna, trully its fabulous! Drooling over here.....

today's post:
http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.in/2013/05/chana-masale-spicy-garbanzo-beans.html

Vimitha Durai said... Reply To This Comment

Would be great for chapathis akka. will try soon

Vidya Chandrahas said... Reply To This Comment

Interesting dish..looks super delicious.

Cham said... Reply To This Comment

It is like a piece of cake floating in syrup :) Never tasted looks tasty!

Nalini's Kitchen said... Reply To This Comment

Wow!!looks super delicious and tempting...

Asiya Omar said... Reply To This Comment

Priya you are always amazing ..Looks very delicious.

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

Romba pudhumaiya irukku. kelvi pattathe illa. but try panni parkiren..

Indrani said... Reply To This Comment

Hi priya,
You made dhokar Dalna finally..you just mentioned on my blog few days back and you prepared it perfectly...it looks fabulous, about the curry, I never added coconut milk and cashew-raisin paste, as it is very simple dish, but there are many varieties cooked by bongs, but your pic is droolworthy

Laavanya said... Reply To This Comment

The ingredients for the gravy sound lipsmacking good... very healthy and new dish for sure.

Sona said... Reply To This Comment

Looks really delicious and the lentil cakes are yummy! Beautiful click!

FewMinute Wonders said... Reply To This Comment

There you go again with the preparation of a North Indian dish. Good job Priya.

Sangeetha Nambi said... Reply To This Comment

Badly tempting me Priya...

Rafeeda AR said... Reply To This Comment

as usual akka... u get the first prize!!! :) the curry looks very good, would love to make it this month...

Nilu A said... Reply To This Comment

Looks awesome.. Beautiful click Priya :-)

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

thats a quick post Priya. Hats off to u :) looks delicious
Home Made Recipes

Lavanya Raj said... Reply To This Comment

Picture and the recipe looks interesting! Love to make!

saraniskitchen said... Reply To This Comment

Aks ur are super fast and ur clicks make me drool...kalakunga sachin:)

Hema said... Reply To This Comment

Wow, this looks awesome, waiting to join this group once things are little settled..

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

Very well made Priya, I have never had it, looks good.

Unknown said... Reply To This Comment

Looks super delicious. Wanna grab some lentil cakes Priya. Love the picture.

Hope you doing fine,Take care dear.

Divya A said... Reply To This Comment

Superb akka.. Looks so perfect u have done an awesome job... Superb clicks too :)

thelady8home said... Reply To This Comment

Beautiful clicks, and lovely looking dish :)Explained well too.

http://www.thelady8home.com/2013/05/24/qubani-ka-meetha-this-is-from-hyderabad/