Habisa Dalma – a very special and traditional recipe of Odisha made during the month of Kartika which is considered as the holiest month in the Hindu Calendar. This month (also known as the month of Damodar i.e. Krishna) starts from Kumar Purnima and culminate on Kartika Purnima.
This period is that time of the year when a few distinct annual rituals like refraining from eating non veg food, beautiful rangoli before the Tulsi plant, lighted deepa (earthen lamp) known as Akasadeepa filled with ghee, placed inside an earthen pot and pulled atop in an erect pole are observed. Most people in Odisha refrain from consuming non veg items for the entire month and those who are not able to do this for the entire month, observe this for the last 5 days of the month known as ‘Panchuka’ . As per a popular saying, even a crane, which is a fish-hunting bird, forsakes eating fish during Panchuka!
This iconic lentil based preparation is very different from the much popular Odia Dalma. Habisa Dalma is made using ghee , elephant foot yam , colocasia , elephant apple , grated coconut, grated ginger , raw banana, moong dal and prepared without turmeric . As ‘Habisa’ was primarily observed by widows in the earlier times, certain restrictions are imposed on the diet. This dalma is normally serves with ‘arua anna’ .
On the auspicious day of ‘Kartika Purnima’ ( the last day of the month-the full moon day) men, women and children across Odisha head for the nearest water body to set afloat ‘boitas’ ( toy boats made of banana branches, sticks, and paper ) with lamp, flowers, fruits and coins known as ‘Boita Bandana’. Karthika Purnima also commemorates the beginning of the grandest fair in Odisha, the famous Bali Jatra of Cuttack, the largest fair of Asia . This colourful and vibrant even celebrates Odisha’s maritime glory and trade relations with foreign countries.
Ingredients to make Habisa Dalma
½ Cup Moong Dal
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 50 gms arbi, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 100 gms raw banana raw , peeled and chopped into cubes
• 50 gms brinjal
• 50 gms sweet potato
• 2 green chilies
• 1 inch Ginger – grated/crushed
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
FOR GARNISHING
- 1 Tsp roasted cumin powder
- 2 tbsp fresh coconut. grtaed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
How to make Habisa Dalma
How to make Habisa Dalma
- Do not soak the moong dal, just wash and cook.
- Wash and cut vegetables. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add water and mix salt and once water starts boiling add the daal and the vegetables,
- Once the dal gets cooked with the vegetables add grated ginger and slit green chilies in it .
- Once everything is cooked, adjust salt to taste and switch off the gas and keep aside to prepare the tempering.
- Take another pan, heat the ghee and add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, and once it splutters ,pour the mixture on the dal.
- Add some cumin powder and grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves and mix well in the dal.
- Your Habisa dalma is ready to be served with Rice, dollop of home made gua ghee .
Comments are closed.