Odia Habisa Dal
Odia habisa dal is a simple temple-style mung dal with raw banana, elephant foot yam, ginger, cumin and ghee.
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50 mintotal
40 min hands-on10 min hands-off
Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Low
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop, Pressure Cooker.
No inactive waiting is required; dry-roast the mung dal first so it smells nutty before simmering with the vegetables.
Method
Wash the dry-roasted moong dal thoroughly under running water.
In a deep pot or pressure cooker, add the washed dal, cubed raw banana, elephant foot yam, and colocasia roots. Pour in sufficient water.
Add turmeric powder and salt. Cook until the dal is soft but retains its shape, and the vegetables are tender. (About 2-3 whistles if pressure cooking).
Slightly mash the cooked dal and vegetables using the back of a ladle to create a thicker consistency, but do not make it a complete paste. Set aside.
In a separate tempering pan, heat the ghee over medium heat until it melts and turns hot.
Add the cumin seeds and dry red chillies to the hot ghee. Let the cumin seeds crackle.
Carefully add the grated ginger to the tempering and sauté for a few seconds until the raw smell disappears.
Instantly pour this aromatic ghee tempering over the cooked dal mixture and stir gently.
Let the dal simmer for an additional 2 minutes to absorb the flavors from the tempering. Turn off the heat and serve.
2 min
How to tell it's done
The dal should be moderately thick and porridge-like, with soft root-vegetable chunks and ghee on top.
Getting it right
Tip
Keep the seasoning simple: cumin, ginger and ghee are enough. Avoid mustard seeds, onion, garlic and tomato for this temple-style dal.
What to serve it with
Traditionally served with hot rice, Ouu Khatta (Elephant Apple chutney), and simple vegetable fries.
Common mistakes
- The habisa dal tastes like regular tadka dal.
- Keep the seasoning simple with cumin, ginger and ghee. Onion, garlic and tomato move it away from the temple-style flavour.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate habisa dal in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until hot; freeze for up to 2 months, though the root vegetables soften.
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