Monday, October 11, 2004

The Konkana Kuladeva - Dalitoy

Dalitoy - This is a must gravy in all Konkana Festivals/Ceremony, without this life sucks for a konkana. So the name Kuladeva!

If you really want to eat the best "Dalitoy" you should go to SVT - Shree Venkataraman Temple in Car Street, Managlore during Ratha Sapthami, five days feast when they serve the food, it will make you lick your fingers! Really, I mean this.
Another place where you can eat Dalitoy at it's best is Hotel "Ayodhya" (Mangalore)

Anyway let's see how to make this at home.

Ingredients -

Toor Dal - 100 - 250 Gms (say for 2 people)
Geen chillies - 4
Red Chillies - 4 (the best one would be Parekal, which is available in Mangalore, though you can use any other type)
Mustard - 1 spoon
Coriandar leaves - say about 10 leaves
Kothambari - fine chopped
Hing (Asafotedia) - This is a must, without this Dalitoy won't be dalitoy

Preparation -

The Dal -

Take a cooker and put Dal in that, drop 1 table spoon of oil or Ghee and roast it for say 2 minutes, before the dal turs it color. Add 2-3 glass of water in the coocker (usualy, the raio is 1:3 for Dal and Water).
Add 2 chopped Green chillies - Chop it straight and add it
Now close the cooker and leave it for 13 minutes on the gas at a medium flame, your cooker will whistle for 3 - 4 times. After 13 minutes, off the gas.

Aftermath -

Now open the cooker and see if the Dal is cooked, it should be by now else you will have to cook it again. Take a big spoon (kaulo, I mean Daulo - Konkani, can't trnslate this) and stir the Dal, till the gravy is fine.

Now switch on the gas and keep the cooker on it and let it boil once again, this time add 2 more green chillies - this will add a great flavour. Keep stirring your kaulo... :)

Now if you have Hing (Asafotedia) then put this in a small glass with a little bit of water so that it dissolves, it is important that hing dissolves, else you might get it in mouth when earing. Add this hing water to Dal in the cooker

Tadka -

For this you need to be very quick as the Tadka can burn fast.
On the other gas pad, you need to keep one Tadka pan, put 4 spoons of oil or ghee and let is heat up. Once done, add mustard (1 spoon) and it make some noise.
Add 4 Red chillies, and let it roast. Add corander leaves, this will make some noise.

Now for my most fav. part -

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! without the guidance of an expert, if you really want to try then switch off the Tadka gas. Once done, Take some Dal in a spoon and add that to the Tadka Pan, this will make a big noise, don't worry, enjoy it.

Add the tadka from the Pan to the Dal, Off the gas. Your dal is ready to be served. Thicker the better...

Kothambari is liked by some and not liked by others, so if you like it then add the fine chopped Kothambari in to the Dal and Serve HOT!

Serving -

Serves traditionlly with hot rice, you can also serve this with Idli, Chapati or Dosa...

Yours truly,
The Tadka man (Panna mam in Konkani)