Dimer Dhokar Dalna / Bengali Style Steamed Egg Curry
While my husband sat
engrossed in Arnab Goswami’s programme I decided upon tomorrow’s lunch menu. I was
thinking of making dimer dhoka for a long time but that never happened till
now.
Dhoka is basically veg Bengali
style lentil cakes, made from chana dal / cholar dal and split peas / motor dal, which is first cooked
and then set in a box before cutting into diamond shapes. Just like that
steamed eggs can be cut into different shapes and can be used to make curry.
Steamed eggs give the very
familiar egg curry a different flavour and taste. It looks like paneer and is a
good change from the usual egg curry that we make with hard boiled eggs. The
curry I prepared is nothing fancy...just the usual one I make, but these steamed
egg cakes sure gave that old curry a new outlook. I loved it. We liked this
curry a little thin in consistency..but you can make it thick if you like the
Dimer Dhoka richer and spicier in taste and look.
Dimer Dhokar Dalna /
Bengali Style Steamed Egg Curry
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
7 large eggs
2 potatoes – peeled and
cut into cubes
1 onion – chopped
1 tomato – chopped
4-5 garlic cloves – paste
½ inch ginger – paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt
A pinch of sugar
A handful of fresh
coriander leaves – chopped
2-3 tbsp pure virgin
mustard oil
Method:
Break the eggs in a bowl
and whisk them well until totally incorporated. Add some salt for the
seasonings. Take a square or round steel lunch box and grease it with oil.
Now pour the eggs into the
box.
Close the lid and keep
aside.
Take a heavy bottomed Dutch
oven style cooking vessel and place a bowl upside down into it. Fill the pot
with water only up to ¼th of the bowl. Place the whisked egg filled lunch box
on that upside down box and close the lid of the pot. Now steam the eggs for 15-20
minutes or until set. If you overcook the eggs they will stick to the bottom of
the box and will not come out easily.
You can also line the box
with butter paper for easy unmolding.
Unmold the steamed eggs
and cut them into medium square pieces.
Keep them aside.
Heat the oil in a pan /
kadai and shallow fry the potatoes until lightly golden from outside.
Take them out of the kadai
and keep aside.
Add the garlic paste to
the remaining oil and sauté until you get the aroma.
Do not cook further and
add the chopped onions to them.
Sprinkle some salt over
them and cook the onions until lightly golden.
Add tomatoes and cook
until mushy.
Add ginger paste and mix
well. Continue cooking until you see the oil separating at the edges.
At the turmeric powder,
red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder and stir to mix.
Pour in ¼th cup of water
and simmer for 2 minutes.
When the mixture becomes
thick add the cubed potatoes.
Sprinkle some salt and if
required add little water. Mix everything well and cover the kadai until the potatoes
are cooked. Stir them often so that they do not stick to the bottom of the
kadai and add water if necessary.
When the potatoes are all
cooked, add another ½ cup of water to create the curry.
Add the kept aside steamed
egg pieces and simmer on a medium to high flame
Until you have the right
consistency of the gravy.
Taste and adjust the
seasonings.
Sprinkle the garam masala
powder and chopped coriander leaves and gently stir to mix.
Switch off the flame and
serve hot with some plain white rice.
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