Dhokar Dalna
Intermediate
Intermediate
Main CourseBengali Dhokar Dalna Recipe: A Classic Vegetarian Dish For Durga Puja
Dhokar Dalna
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Cooking Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
34
Ingredients
Indian
Diet
Bengali cuisine is famous for its non-vegetarian dishes, from the macher jhol to the egg rolls. But dhokar dalan (fried lentil cakes in curry/gravy) is a vegetarian delicacy, cooked without onion or garlic, and famously served during Durga Puja. The word ‘dhoka’ refers to betrayal, as the dish is vegetarian but meant to “trick you” into thinking it’s meat. An underrated but delicious lentil delicacy, dhokar dalna can be transformed into a snack too — consume fried lentil cakes as is, without dunking them in curry.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
1 cup/250 gmBengal gram (soaked overnight)
2Green chillies
¼ cupGrated coconut
1 tspGinger paste
1 tspCumin Powder
½ tspTurmeric Powder
¼ tspHing (Asafoetida)
20 gRoasted peanuts (chopped)
¾ tspChilli Powder (optional)
2 tbspVegetable oil (for dhoka mixture)
½ cupWater (for grinding)
to tasteSugar
to tasteSalt
for fryingVegetable or Mustard oil
2Diced potatoes (For the curry)
2Chopped tomatoes
1-2Slit green chillies
2 tbspGrated coconut
2Bay leaves (Tej patta)
3-5Dried red leaves
5Cardamom
1-2Cinnamon (1 inch)
4-5Cloves
1 tspCumin seeds
½ tbspGinger paste
1 tspGhee
1 tspBengali garam masala powder
1 tbspCoriander Powder
1 tspTurmeric powder
1 tspRed chilli powder
1 tspCumin Powder
to tasteSalt
2 tspSugar (optional)
400 ml or 2 cupHot water