Dhokar Dalna – Bengali recipe (no onion no garlic)

This traditional bengali recipe of  Dhokar dalna is a keeper! A vegetarian recipe which is also Satvik/ Niramish (no onion no garlic recipe) made of lentil cakes simmered in a simple tomato gravy.

They say that the life happens when you are busy making other plans. Clichéd much? Well, I don’t think so! In fact, I have come to realize that the best memories are actually created in those small moments of unbridled joy, of unparalleled exhilaration. ‘How do I find such moments in life’, you ask? You know what, you don’t need to! They are there, waiting for you to experience them – all you need is a positive frame of mind, and an openness to make vodka out of every lemon that life gives you! This is when you might ask yourself – why the hell am I taking philosophy lessons from a random stranger, someone who, possibly, might be drunk on vodka shots! Just so you know, I am sober, friends.

The only reason I am philosophically blabbering about happiness, and the fact that happiness is heavily overrated, is because I feel strongly that we as a generation have stopped enjoying the smaller pleasures in life – a bird’s chirping early in the morning, a rainy day with no work, a message from a long-lost friend, an airplane flying by, and you trying to wave at it; and a nice dish of the simplest food that our Mom used to make when we were young and naïve!

The point is, you can be happy with whatever you have, if you want to be happy! Take this dish for example. Dhokar dalna is a simple dish made of lentil cakes simmered in a ‘simpleton’ tomato gravy. But why does it make me happy? Well, it reminds me of a simpler time, when after coming home from a long, unending day at the torturous institution called ‘school’, I could smell my Mom cooking Dhokar
Dalna in the kitchen – it has been months since I had this dish, but even after eons, it feels like yesterday.

After all, being happy doesn’t take a lot, does it?

So coming back to the dish, I always thought I could never ever make Dhokar Dalna given the high standards my mom and grandma have set for me! Also because very honestly, this dish is a result of some meticulous steps and requires your time and attention, both of which our generation shies away from when it comes to cooking!

I am all for minimalism in cooking and my blog is full of recipes that are all about quick, no-frills cooking. But then again, being a Bong, this dish is also a representation of the culture I belong to and is another representation of the food that has influenced my taste.

Before you scroll down to the recipe, let me tell you – I don’t claim this to be the most authentic bengali recipe for Dhokar Dalna because one thing I have learnt about India and its food culture is that the same dish and its preparation varies with every mile that you take. But what I do claim is that I have tried to break down this recipe step by step to the simplest and quickest possible form for you to make without compromising anywhere on the authentic taste 🙂

Here’s hoping that you would give it a try 🙂

Tips to not let the Dhoka (lentil cakes) break:

1. While frying the lentil mixture make sure that you are doing it on medium heat and you are continuously stirring it to not let it stick to the sides of the pan. As the mixture has a tendency to stick to the pan, it will harden and not hold together
2.  While transferring the fried lentil mixture to make a cake, make sure that you let the mixture cool and settle down properly before jumping to cut it, otherwise the dhokas might disintegrate during frying.
3.  Be very careful while frying the dhoka (lentil cakes), make sure you are doing it on low-medium heat and letting one side properly cook before flipping it onto the other side.
4.  While adding the Dhoka to the gravy done leave the dhokas for too long, else they will turn mushy and disintegrate
5.  After all this, say for some unforeseen reason a few of your lentil cakes do break, make sure you don’t add them to the gravy and make it disintegrate more, instead add all the dhokas to a plate and slowly pour the gravy just before serving it.

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Dhokar Dalna (no onion no garlic)

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This traditional bengali recipe of  dhokar dalna is a keeper! A vegetarian recipe which is also niramish (no onion no garlic recipe) made of lentil cakes simmered in a simple tomato gravy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: bengali, Indian

Servings: 4

Calories: 347 kcal

Author: delishstudio

Ingredients

For making the Dhoka (Lentil cakes)

• 150 gm chana dal (split bengal gram)
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder (jeera powder)
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing powder)

For making the gravy

• 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
• 1 whole dried red chilli
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 small potatoes
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 bay leaf ( tej patta)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 cinnamon
• 2 clove
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 cardamom
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing powder)

Instructions

Steps to make the Dhoka (Lentil cakes)

1. In a bowl, soak chana dal (split bengal gram) in water overnight. Next day, drain away the water, 

2. Grind the soaked chana dal (split bengal gram) with the green chillies to make a fine paste (add very little water if required to make paste).

3. In a pan heat mustard oil, add ginger paste, cumin powder, sugar, salt and asafoetida powder (hing powder) and fry for a minute. Then add the chana dal (split bengal gram) paste and keep stirring continously. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes till the dal is done and take it off the heat. Don't allow the dal/ lentil to stick to the pan.

4. Now grease a plate (which has 1.5 -2 inch height around the corners) with little oil  and spread this mixture evenly on the plate in the form of a cake with 1.5-2 inch height and let it cool down properly.

5. The mixture takes the form of a solid cake. Carefully cut this lentil cake down into 2 inch squares.

6. Heat mustard oil in a pan, slowly slide these 2 inch lentil squares into the pan and fry one side first, flip them the other side carefully to make sure that they don't fall apart.

7. Fry them in small batches and drain the excess oil over a paper napkin.

Steps to make the gravy

1. Heat mustard oil in a pan, for tempering first add add cumin seeds, asafoetida powder (hing powder), bay leaf ( tej patta), cinnamon, clove, cardamom and dried red chillies. Add potatoes pieces and fry well.

2. Now add ginger paste, tomato puree, cumin powder (jeera powder), coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and let the tomato puree cook well on medium heat till the oil separates.

3. Once the oil has separated, add water and let the potatoes cook. Once the potatoes are cooked, check the gravy for salt/sugar and adjust accordingly.

4. Add some garama masala powder and ghee into gravy 

5. Finally slowly add the dhokas / lentil cakes to this gravy making sure they don't break.

6. Let this gravy simmer for another 4-5 minutes, good enough for the dhokas to soak the gravy but not too long for it to become mushy and break apart.

7. Turn off the heat and the dish is ready to be served. Sprinkle a little bit of garam masala over it.

Recipe Notes

• While frying the lentil mixture make sure that you are doing it on medium heat and you are continuously stirring it to not let it stick to the sides of the pan. As the mixture has a tendency to stick to the pan, it will harden and not hold together.
•  While transferring the fried lentil mixture to make a cake make sure that you let the mixture cool and settle down properly before jumping to cut it, otherwise the dhokas might disintegrate during frying.
•  Be very careful while frying the dhoka (lentil cakes), make sure you are doing it on low-medium heat and letting one side properly cook before flipping it onto the other side.
•  While adding the Dhoka to the gravy done leave the dhokas for too long, else they will turn mushy and disintegrate
•  After all this, say for some unforeseen reason a few of your lentil cakes do break, make sure you don't add them to the gravy and make it disintegrate more, instead add all the dhokas to a plate and slowly pour the gravy just before serving it.

Looking for more recipes?Check out shahi gobhi masala