In the east Indian state of Odisha, lentil stew is an everyday staple. This version, fragrant with fresh coconut and sweetened with long-simmered sweet potato, is based on one prepared at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, which editor-in-chief James Oseland wrote about in Heavenly Meal, from our August/September 2014 special India issue.
Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Soups and Stews
Lentil Stew with Coconut (Dalma)
In the east Indian state of Odisha, this fragrant stew, silky with thinly sliced cooked onions and long-simmered sweet potatoes, is an everyday staple.
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), rinsed, soaked 30 minutes, and drained
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1 carrot, cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 plum tomato, minced
- 1 small Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 small Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- (1) 2 1⁄2” pieces ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
- 1⁄2 small daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. asafoetida
- 1 drumstick, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
- 1⁄4 cup ghee
- 1 1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 small green Thai chile or 1/2 serrano, halved
Instructions
- Bring dal and 8 cups water to a boil in a 6–qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; stir in turmeric, carrot, tomato, eggplant, potatoes, ginger, daikon, and salt; cook until dal is mushy, about 45 minutes. Stir in coconut, sugar, asafoetida, and drumstick; cook until drumstick is tender, 20–25 minutes. Melt ghee in an 8″ skillet over medium-high; cook cumin seeds and chile until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes; stir into stew.