Dalcha Recipe - Chalna / Salna Recipe | Side dish for Biryani

Dalcha(Chalna) - A popular side dish for biryani...The first time I tasted dalcha was at my perimmas place at trichy, I loved it so much. It is usually served with kuska biryani , veg biryani, nonveg biryani etc. I promised to post this recipe when I posted chiccken biryani but time had other plans for me, but now I am finally here with the recipe....This is a vegetarian version of chalna recipe, chek my notes to make nonveg version.

Dalcha for Biryani Recipe - Ingredients

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup heaped
Chana Dal - 4 tbsp
Big Onion - 1 chopped finely
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1.5 tsp
Brinjals - 5 cut into four
Raw Mango - 1 small cut into pieces
Tomato - 1 chopped roughly
Red Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - just to garnish
Salt - taste
Oil - 2 to 3 tsp

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Green Chillies - 1 slitted
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Bayleaf - 1/2

Method:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker - add the items under 'to temper' let it splutter then add onion, ginger garlic paste saute till slightly browned.Then add chopped tomato saute till mushy and raw smell leaves.Then add red chilli,coriander powders, required salt and mix well. Dalcha Recipe Recipe - Step1

Add the dals, give a quick stir add about 1 cup of water and pressure cook 4-5 whistles.The dals should be mushy.Keep aside. Dalcha Recipe - Step2

In a pan heat oil, saute the brinjals until golden brown and is halfcooked., set aside.Transfer the dal mixture to a pan and heat it up. Add water if the mixture is too thick...Once it starts boiling add the brinjals. Dalcha Recipe - Step3

Add raw mango pieces, allow it boil. Cook covered until both the veggies turn soft.Once the veggies are cooked add tamarind water and let it for one boil then garnish with coriander leaves and switch off. Dalcha Recipe - Step4

My Notes:

Add required quantity of water to dilute the curry for the veggies to get cooked. Do not add tamarind paste before the veggies get cooked.

The curry thickens with time so switch off accordingly.

Brinjal and raw mango are must for this curry so dont skip it.

This curry goes well even with plain rice, kuska biryani,veg biryani etc.

For nonveg version, just add mutton pieces with bones along with dals to pressure cook.Make sure to pressure cook till mutton is cooked fully.You can skip brinjal if you want for nonveg version.Other steps remains the same.