Rediscovering a lost dish: Dal Gosht ‘Nirala’

Let there be no confusion. The famous Hyderabadi dalcha shouldn’t be confused with dal gosht, the traditional winter recipe that used to be immensely popular in Punjab, Delhi, Rampur and other parts of Rohilkhand where the chill in winter winds made bones freeze. It had no pretensions of being a gem from a princely spread — it was robust fare full of nutrition. At some homes, it was prepared with mash lentils unhusked but split while other homecooks preferred to pair the meat with other lentils. Dal gosht had a thick porridge-like consistency but there was enough gravy to mop with a roti or enjoy it with a steaming plate of rice. Meat wasn’t usually mashed but retained a pleasant bite. One could taste the warmth imparted by ginger, garlic and peppers. For some incomprehensible reason, eateries in public domain didn’t warm up to this recipe. It was a very pleasant surprise when our palate was tingled some time back with this flavourful beauty at Daryaganj restaurant in Aerocity that is fast emerging as the bustling food hub in the Capital. We love this dish and can only hope that others acquire a taste for it. The restaurant claims to be the inheritor to a proud legacy. Its founders ‘partnered’ in creating butter chicken, and, by now, the legendary dal makhni.

But you can never tell what may happen to a lost dish that is rediscovered. And this is what brings us to the culinary recreation by an imaginative chef friend of ours who replaced the chunks of meat with, believe it or not, a kebab. Truth be told, the kebab in this case resembled more a hamburger steak patty resting happily on a thick bed of chana dal. He assures us that the vegetarians can substitute the mutton patty easily with a non-meaty option — black masoor dal, jimikand or soya granules. The suffix ‘nirala’ is justified in this case by an innovative presentation but we feel the word gosht would have to be dispensed with if it is dal with dal! We liked the taste and the adventurous innovative spirit and have no hesitation in recommending it to our dear readers.

Dal gosht ‘Nirala’

Ingredients
Mutton mince 400 gm
Chana dal (soaked for 45 min) 250 gm
Bay leaf 1 large
Brown cardamoms 2
Cloves (whole and pound) 10
Onions (medium, chopped) 2
Garlic 1 bulb
Ginger (scraped & chopped) 3-inch piece
Peppercorns (coarsely pounded) 10-12
Cinnamon stick 2-inch piece
Red chillies 2-3
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 3/4 tsp
Salt To taste
Ghee 1/4 cup
Mint/coriander/curry leaves For garnish

Method

• Boil the mince with 25 gm of chana dal, along with bay leaf, cloves, pounded peppercorns, chillies, cinnamon stick and salt in about a cup of water under pressure for two whistles. Remove the pressure and stir fry it to let all moisture evaporate.
• Discard the bay leaf and other whole spices. Place the cooked mince in a blender and mix in short bursts to obtain a moist mix to make patties.
• Divide the mince into two portions and press between moist palms. Shape into thick patties/kebabs. Heat a little ghee in a non-stick pan and pan-grill these kebabs for about 2 minutes on each side.
• In another pot, boil rest of the dal with 1-1/2 cup of water, along with the powdered spices — turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli — and salt. Remember that the dal should be of very thick consistency, so better keep an eye on it as it cooks. When the lentils are done to taste, remove the dal to individual flat serving platters. Make a hollow in the middle and carefully place the gosht in the thick dal.
• Garnish as you like. On our part, we like to keep at hand a few slices of onions that are browned, along with garlic cloves, to spread on top. A tempering prepared in hot ghee with cumin seeds and a slit green chilli can only elevate the homely dish.
• Don’t be constrained by the steps followed by someone else’s innovation. Go by your own inclination and taste. Quite a few families use mixed lentils in equal measure — chana, masoor and arhar.