Dalcha Recipe
There is a popular eatery in my hometown which serves one of the best biryani in town. One of the accompaniment which they serve with the biryani is brinjal dalcha. It taste tangy, spicy which pairs well with biryani. I got that recipe from my friend and tried at home. When I asked her what to serve this, she insisted me to try it with nei choru. It taste equally good with biryani, pulav, parotta. I made some mutton pulav to go with this and the combo is unbelievable.
About Dalcha
Dalcha is a curry which is popular in and around Telengana region. A version of dalcha is popular in some parts of South India as well. Dalcha is made with a combination of vegetables, dal and some kind of meat. Most common meat used in dalcha is mutton | lamb or chicken. In South India we add a bunch of vegetables in our dalcha including drumstick, carrots, raw mango and potato. It is served with ghee rice in weddings and functions. Traditionally it is cooked in a large cooking pot in which mutton is stewed with dal and veggies till it is cooked completely. The gravy gets it thickness from dal which adds flavour and taste.
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Mutton Dalcha Ingredients
Mutton - you have to use lamb or mutton with bone-in. Lamb bones adds flavour to the curry. Onion & Tomatoes - this forms the base of any curry. Ginger & Garlic - use freshly crushed ginger and garlic. You can use paste as well. Vegetables - mixed vegetables can be used in the curry. You can use any vegetables as you like or even skip it entirely. Spice powders - chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powder is used. Dal - toor dal is preferred in dalcha but you can use chana dal as well.
Which Vegetables to Use in Dalcha
Dalcha can be made both vegetarian and with meat. Both ways it taste great. Some people prefer to make dalcha with only vegetables. The flavour of onion, tomatoes, whole spices and vegetables like raw mango, raw banana and brinjal is used. But dalcha made with meat has its own unique flavour and taste. We prefer to use onion, tomatoes, green chillies, drumsticks, potato, carrots and raw mango. Shallots is fried in coconut oil till golden and added in the curry in the end. The gravy starts by cooking mutton with onion, tomato masala till completely cooked. Hard vegetables like potato, carrot is added in the beginning and softer vegetables like brinjal, raw mango and drumsticks is added later to finish cooking without turning mushy.
Dalcha Recipe (4 Easy Steps)
Make base for dalcha
Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large kadai. Add in onions, green chilli and salt. Saute for couple of mins. Now add in tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, spice powder and saute for 10 mins till it turns mushy.
Cooking Mutton
Add in the mutton pieces and saute for 5 mins till it gets coated in the masala. Pour in water so the mutton gets cooked. Pour water and bring it to boil. Simmer the pan and cook for a hour.
Mixing Dal & Vegetables
Now the mutton is half cooked. Add in toor dal and the vegetables. Pour more water if needed. Adjust the salt level. Cover the pan and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour to till mutton falls off the bone.
Tempering Dalcha
Now make the seasoning. Heat ¼ cup oil and fry shallots till golden. Pour this over the curry and mix well. Add in lots of coriander leaves and mix well. Serve this with biryani or ghee rice.
How to Make Mutton Dalcha (Stepwise Pictures)
Making Base
- I made mutton dalcha in a pot, for faster cooking option you can use pressure cooker. check below for the method. Heat coconut oil in a kadai. 2)Add sliced onions, green chilies in hot oil. Sprinkle salt over onions and cook onions till golden brown. 3)Now the onions is golden brown. 4)Add in chopped tomatoes. 5)Add in ginger garlic paste and saute this for 3 to 4 minutes till tomatoes get mushy. 6)Add in turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. 7)Add in garam masala powder. 8)Mix well. Now the masala is done.
Cooking Mutton
9)Add in mutton. Use mutton with bone-in for maximum flavour. 10)Stir the mutton in the masala. Stir fry for 10 minutes. 11)Pour some water in the mutton. 12)Bring it to a boil. Cover the pot with lid. Reduce the flame, cook on low heat for 1 to 2 hours till mutton is cooked completely.
Adding in Dal & Vegetables
13)Add in toor dal. Instead of toor dal, you can add split chana dal. 14)Add in vegetables. 15)Mix well. Cover and simmer till dal and vegetables is cooked completely. 16)Now the dal and vegetables is cooked.
Make Tempering
17)Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add in shallots or onions. 18)Cook till golden brown. 19)Pour this over dalcha. Add in coriander leaves and mix well. 20)Serve.
How to Make Dalcha in Pressure cooker
Follow the same steps mentioned above till adding mutton pieces. Add little water and cover the pressure cooker pan. Cook this for 7 to 8 whistle, simmer the pan for 10 mins. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Now open the pressure cooker and check whether mutton is cooked. Pour some more water (if needed) add in dal and vegetables. Cover the pan again and cook for 2 whistle. Let the pressure go all by itself. Open the pressure cooker. Make tempering. Heat oil and fry shallots. Pour this over the curry. Add coriander and mix well.
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