Dalcha is Hyderabad’s special recipe prepared with Bottle Gourd & spices.  Savor it with another Hyderabadi dish, Bagara Khana (Rice) & you will be longing for more!!

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd – 1 small
Tomatoes – 4
Onion – 1
Bengal gram / Chana Dal – 1 cup
Tamarind – 1 big lemon sized
Green Chilies – 6
Red Mirchi Powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – ½ bunch
Turmeric – a pinch
Salt – 3 tsp
Oil – 4 tbsp
Cloves – 5
Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon – 2 inch sticks
Sahijeera – ½ tsp

Preparation:
Sort & soak tamarind & Bengal gram separately for about 30 minutes & pressure cook Bengal gram for around 4 whistles.  Allow it cool down & mean while chop tomatoes, bottle gourd, onion and slit green chilies.

Take a deep bowl and heat oil, add mustard seeds & jeera.  Once it crackles, add green chilies, curry leaves and onions to it & sauté for about a minute or two.  Add the bottle gourd and tomatoes after frying each for a couple of minutes.  Add turmeric and half of the salt.  Allow it to cook on medium flame.

Meanwhile, grind the boiled gram, tamarind & spices.  When the bottle gourd is almost cooked, add this paste & water to it.  Add water as per your liking and adjust salt accordingly.  Switch the flame off when it comes to boiling.  Serve it hot with Bagara Khana, it will be an amazing treat!!