What can get better than knowing that choosing healthy means still being able to enjoy your favorite childhood dishes? Absolutely nothing, I know! This week we recreate one of east India’s most famous recipes known Dhokar Dalna… This dish is one of Bengals most famous vegetarian recipes that has gained popularity all over the world due to its simplicity and flavor from the beautiful blend of spices and fairly simple method of preparation.
Typically, Dhokar Dalna is a preparation of deep-fried cakes made out of lentils which are then spiced in a beautiful aromatic curry made with whole ground spices… This dish forms for a great sider with the main course and sometimes even creeps itself to form a better part of the main course
We obviously don’t do lentils on a Paleo lifestyle due to their high content of lectin and phytic acids but we do a good job of substitution here at The Paleo Palate Café… and hence we substitute lentils for our good ol‘ squash and get some help from our friends almond and coconut flours to tighten the squash up into cake and voila you have a new and our very own Paleo version of Dhokar Daalna… And hey it is Keto and Vegan compliant as well…
Let’s feast on it then…
Dhokar Dalna | Squash Curry | Paleo | Keto | Vegan
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash (1) - or low carb squash like Zucchini - (3)
- Coconut Oil - 4 teaspoons
- Himalayan Sea Salt - to taste
- Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon (1/2 + 1/2)
- Almond Flour - 1 tablespoon
- Coconut Flour - 4 tablespoons
- Chillies - 3
- Ginger - A knob
- Avocado Oil - 1/2 teaspoon
- Asafoetida / Hing- Two 1/4th teaspoons
For the curry:
- Coconut Cream - 1/2 cup
- Crushed Tomatoes or Tomato Puree - 5.5 tablespoons
- Cumin Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
- Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder - 1/4th teaspoon
- Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
- Himalayan Sea Salt 1/2 teaspoon
- Onion - 1medium chopped
Garnish:
- Coriander leaves
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the squash into cube sized pieces
- To an adequately hot skillet add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil & the squash
- Add in 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt to this and cover the squash with just about enough water (1/2 cup)
- Cover the skillet and cook the squash for 5-6 minutes (until tender)
- Meanwhile chop the chillies and the ginger into fine pieces
- Once the squash is tender drain the water through a sieve & add the tender sqaush to a blender
- Add in the chillies and ginger & 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
- Blend them together into a paste
- To a heated skilled add a teaspoon of coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/4th teaspoon of asafoetida (hing)
- When the cumin seeds start to pop add the squash paste and cook for 30 seconds to a minute
- Then add in 1 tablespoon of almond flour & 1 tablespoon of coconut flour
- Mix well & cook for another minute and then add in another tablespoon of coconut flour
- Remove the mixture out on a plate and let cool
- Once cooled add in 2 tablespoons of coconut flour more and knead the mixture into a dough
- If you feel your dough needs to be more tight try adding 1 more tablespoon of coconut flour (but i'd suggest not)
- Flatten the dough onto a flat surface with your hands and slit a knife through the dough to make square shapes or cakes
- To a heated skillet add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil & add in the cakes one by one
- Lightly fry them from one side & flip them over to fry from the next
- Once done remove them out on a plate and set aside
- For the curry – to an empty bowl add in coconut cream, crushed tomatoes and the spices listed under the curry section of the ingredients
- Mix them well together until they form a nice reddish pinkish kind of a pleasant color
- To a heated skillet (3rd time i know :p) add in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/4th teaspoon asafoetida or hing
- Once the cumin seeds start to pop add in the chopped onion and cook them until translucent
- Add in the coconut cream & crushed tomatoes paste and cook well for about a minute
- Add in some filtered water (about 1/4th cup) in the same vessel as that of the paste so that the water helps clear the vessel and also adopts some of the leftover flavours (from the cream and the tomatoes) – and add that water to the curry
- Cook well for another minute or so and then drop in the lentil cakes into the curry one by one
- Cover the cakes with the curry (use a spoon to do so) if they are not being submerged themselves
- Cook for another minute of so and turn off the gas
- Garnish with coriander leaves and sesame seeds (optional)
- Devour!