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
½ Cup Moong Dal, washed
• 50 gms Colocasia, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 100 gms raw banana raw , peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 green chilies
• 1 inch Ginger – grated/crushed
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 cups water
• 1 tbsp Salt
FOR GARNISHING
- 1 Tsp roasted cumin powder
- 2 tbsp fresh coconut. grtaed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Let’s Cook:
- Rinse the moong dal thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring water to a gentle boil with a pinch of salt. Add the washed moong dal followed by the chopped vegetables. Allow it to cook on medium heat until the dal turns soft and the vegetables are tender.
- Once the dal is cooked, add the grated ginger and slit green chillies. Simmer for a minute to let the flavours infuse.
Adjust salt at this stage and turn off the heat. Keep aside. - In a separate pan, heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
Immediately pour this tempering over the cooked dal. - Sprinkle cumin powder, add freshly grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Give it a gentle mix to bring all the elements together.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and a generous drizzle of homemade gua ghee for an authentic finish.
Comments are closed.