Dalcha with mutton and kaddu is yet another Hyderabadi cuisine often made with meat or mutton mixed in bottle gourd (kaddu) and dal(lentils). It is the most common dish made in Hyderabad which has been passing on since the Nizam’s era.
Other Hyderabadi recipes to try out are dal gosht, how to make chicken biryani, hyderabadi mutton biryani.
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About dalcha
Mutton Dalcha is usually prepared during lunchtime. It is a very good combination with Bagara khana. Not just mutton but one can even add chicken or add just veggies and make as chicken dalcha or veg dalcha.
To the Dalcha in Hyderabad, we generally add kaddu(lauki in Hindi or bottle gourd in English) as the combination of meat, lauki and lentils(toovar dal) along with spices makes the dish very tasty.
It is basically a dal gosht dalcha mixed with lentils, non-veg and veg and combined together makes a delicious side dish to be eaten with any rice recipe mainly bagara rice.
Adding meat with bones in the Dalcha Recipe gives a very good taste as the juice extracted from the bones and mixed into the daal brings out a very good taste in the dish.
Dalcha also brings out a tangy flavour as the tamarind pulp is added while making the dish. Another Hyderabadi dal that is incomplete without adding tamarind is Hyderabadi khatti dal.
The accompaniment that can go well along with this recipe is the mutton fry recipe or it is also good with shami kabab or chicken shami kabab and rice.
Tamarind pulp is the main ingredient as the recipe is not in a good taste without the tangy tamarind pulp. It is made on occasion and is a wonderful side dish eaten with special rice delicacies.
Here in this recipe, I have made dalcha with toovar dal(yellow lentils)/ toor dal. The same dalcha can be made without the mutton and is called kaddu dalcha.
Dalcha can also be prepared with chana dal and mutton and to know more about that recipe read on my dalcha recipe from the blog.
It is definitely a do try dish when someone visits Hyderabad and it should be served with bagara rice and shami kabab.
Check out the detailed step by step procedure below on how to make dalcha.
Mutton recipes
Other mutton recipes to try out on the blog are lamb pasanda, mutton sukka, mutton do pyaza etc…
Ingredients
Mutton: I am using mutton with bones here as dalcha tastes good and releases juicy flavors in the curry if bones attached to lamb or mutton are added. Using boneless mutton is not preferred as it does not bring out the required taste.
dal or lentils: Using toor dal is fine but other combinations that go into making this dalcha is chana dal and toor dal combined which also is a great option. Only chana dal too can be used in place of toor dal.
bottle gourd or kaddu: Dalcha in Hyderabad is incomplete without adding kaddu and the shape of the kaddu is long and cut diagonally to give an appealing look. Using fresh kaddu helps in tenderizing the bottle gourd quickly. If kaddu is hard enough then cooking for 1 whistle is enough.
onions and tomatoes: To give the curry a gravy texture and the needed taste these ingredients go hand in hand and cannot be made without these two simple and yummy veggies.
dry spices: Basic dry spices along with ginger garlic paste is added to give the dal a delicious flavor.
whole spices: These spices include cardamom, cinnamon, shahi zeera, bay leaf, cloves etc…which make the dalcha aromatic.
tamarind pulp: The main part of making the recipe is adding of the tamarind extract which gives a slight tangy touch to the dal and is an important ingredient in making this recipe.
herbs: adding green herbs such as curry leaves, chillies, coriander leaves makes the dalcha highly flavorful and gives a pleasant aroma to the plain dal gosht.
Step by step procedure
Cooking dal
- In a pressure cooker, add toovar dal, add turmeric powder, add curry leaves, add water and pressure cook until the dal is tenderised. Cook it for about 10 minutes or 5-6 whistles.
- Mash it well without lumps and keep aside.
Cooking mutton and mixing dal
Heat 3 tablespoon oil and add 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cardamom, 2 cloves, ½ teaspoon shahi zeera, 1 bay leaf.
Add 1 large onion, finely sliced and saute the onions until they turn soft.
Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and saute few seconds to get rid of raw smell. Then add 500 gms mutton with bones.
Saute the mutton until the color of mutton changes.
Add 2 tomatoes, finely chopped. Also, add salt as per taste, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
Mix well and cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
Add 1 glass water and mix well.
Pressure cook until mutton turns tender(4-5 whistles on low heat).
Reduce the steam and remove the lid. Add 1 medium size bottle gourd/ kaddu pieces(peeled and cut into diagonal long pieces).
Mix, cover and cook until the kaddu turns tender(10-12 minutes). If bottle gourd is hard and firm then pressure cook for 1 whistle.
Stir in between. Add 1 cup tamarind extracted pulp.
Add 1 cup cooked and mashed toor dal.
Give a good mix without lumps. Add 1 cup water or as per consistency required. Also, add 8-10 fresh curry leaves, add 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, add 3-4 green chillies. Adjust salt as per taste.
Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder. Mix well.
Add ½ tomato optional. Cover and bring it to a boil.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve the dalcha hot with bagara rice.
Recipe
Dalcha Recipe Hyderabadi style with Mutton and Kaddu
Dalcha recipe made by tenderizing mutton along with dal.
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Ingredients
For Tenderising Dal:
- 1 cup soaked toovar dal (can use chana dal(bengal gram))
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1.5 cup water
For Mutton Curry and dalcha:
- 500 gms mutton with bones/lamb (washed and cut into pieces)
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cardamom
- 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon shahi zeera
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- salt as per taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 glass water
- 1 medium size bottle gourd (kaddu)
- 1 cup tamarind extracted pulp
- 8-10 fresh curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 3-4 green chillies
- salt as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ tomato optional
Instructions
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In a pressure cooker, add toovar dal, add turmeric powder, add water and pressure cook until the dal is tenderised. Cook it for about 10 minutes or 5-6 whistles.
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Heat oil.
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Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, shahi zeera, bay leaf.
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Add large onion, finely sliced.
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Saute the onions until they turn soft.
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Add ginger garlic paste.
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Saute few seconds to get rid of raw smell.
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Add 500 gms mutton with bones.
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Saute the mutton until the color of mutton changes.
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Add 2 tomatoes, finely chopped.
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Add salt as per taste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.
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Mix well.
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Cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
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Add a glass of water.
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Mix well.
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Pressure cook until mutton turns tender (4-5 whistles on low heat).
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Reduce the steam.
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Remove the lid.
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Add medium size bottle gourd/ kaddu pieces (peeled and cut into diagonal long pieces).
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Mix.
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Cover and cook until the kaddu turns tender(10-12 minutes).
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Stir in between.
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Add tamarind extracted pulp.
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Add cooked and mashed toor dal.
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Give a good mix without lumps.
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Add 1 cup water or as per consistency required.
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Add fresh curry leaves.
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Add chopped coriander leaves.
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Add slit green chillies.
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Adjust salt as per taste.
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Add garam masala powder or use cardamom powder.
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Mix well.
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Add half tomato optional.
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Cover and bring it to a boil.
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Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
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Serve the dalcha hot with bagara rice.
Notes
- I have cooked mutton then added lauki to the same pressure cooker.
- We can Cook dal with tamarind pulp, mutton curry, lauki separately and combine all the three then bring a boil, it brings out the same taste.
- I have used toovar dal but chana dal too can be a substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Dalcha Recipe Hyderabadi style with Mutton and Kaddu
Amount Per Serving
Calories 89
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Sodium 97mg4%
Potassium 51mg1%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 117IU2%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Source: Yummy Indian Kitchen – Indian and International Recipes
