In the east Indian state of Odisha, this lentil stew, fragrant with coconut and enriched with silky, thinly sliced onions and long-simmered sweet potatoes, is an everyday staple. Joseph De Leo
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.
