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Showing posts with label Habisa dalma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Habisa dalma. Show all posts

Monday, November 15, 2021

Decoding the Habisa Dalma




















Panchuka or the five days of abstinence in the Odia calendar. As the holy month of Kartika draws to a closure, the religious fervor goes up by a few notches, and folks who had not given up nonvegetarian food for the entire month turn vegetarian. Even onion and garlic are struck off the menu. It is easy to get into a debate about the actual period of Panchuka with one group advocating that it begins right on the day of 'Anla Nabami' while another one claims that it begins on Ekadashi. But we will not get into the details of it because it is purely a matter of personal belief rather than something which is backed by evidence. And belief mingled with a need for validation can sometimes give rise to urban legends. Like the one which says that even the crane gives up fish during these five days. A story that is likely attributed to another mythological tale that mentions Lord Vishnu awakening from his slumber after four months on the day of Ekadashi and taking the disguise of a fish to reclaim the Vedas stolen by the asura Hayagriva.

But 'Panchuka' or for that matter, the month of Kartika is not just about abstaining from food. While it explicitly calls for giving up non-vegetarian food, certain vegetables, grains, and all greens except Agasti, that is just about the easy part of it. It is marked as a period of abstinence from everything that keeps one from attaining Moksha. Right from consumption of intoxicating substances to restraining one's speech and sexual conduct. A person is expected to immerse himself/herself in the scriptures or chant the name of the Almighty. So, one can say that in some ways it is similar to 'Paryushan Parva' of the Jains. Both are a time to introspect on one's actions and purify oneself from the accumulated sins. However, with the passage of time, Panchuka or even the month of 'Kartika' has been reduced to a period that calls for dietary restraints or if one is more religiously inclined, reading the Kartika Mahatyma. 

Coming back to the food practices followed during the month of Kartika, it is interesting to note how different regions have modified the ingredients used in the Habisa Dalma, an almost iconic dish prepared during this time of the year. Shorn of the golden glow of turmeric, this spartan dish is symbolic of the 'Habisyali' or widows who flock to Puri to perform the most rigorous version of this 'Vrat', subsisting on just a single meal taken before sunset for an entire month. With a little effort, one is able to uncover regional variations of this iconic recipe. I am unwilling to dwell on the topic of authenticity at this point for certain reasons. The variations are perhaps an attempt to assimilate more of the seasonal produce of a particular area. But that does not explain why certain commonly available ingredients have gone missing from it. Making it appeal better to the taste buds? Possibly. Substituting with newer ingredients available to one? Why not?  For example, most of us cannot imagine the ideal Habisa meal without the 'Kandhiya Pagaw', a kind of citrus mashed together with salt and green chilis. But chilis are themselves a 'New World' ingredient and were not available a few hundred years ago. What did our ancestors use instead? A good amount of ginger perhaps to provide the right amount of heat minus the excitement offered by the chilis. 

The most striking departure in this study has been the discovery of a version that I would like to call the Sagaw dalma, another Karthik month specialty in some parts of the state but one that uses 'Kosala saga'. Most interesting because the 'Kartika Mahatmya' explicitly prohibits any kind of green except for the Agasti or Agastya Sagaw (leaves of the Hummingbird tree). Digging a little deeper or rather after asking a dozen of questions, I figured out that most people in that particular region were not aware of the Agasti plant. But that hardly explains the usage of Kosala leaves in the Kartika dalma. Except for pointing to the most primitive practice of offering the first harvest of any crop to the Gods. 


 [ The image represents the Habisa Dalma prepared in most homes in and around Puri. Made with split green moong dal and a few vegetables like elephant apple, taro, yam and plantain, it is sans turmeric and any kind of tempering.]


Sunday, October 20, 2013

Habisa Dalma ( Kartika Masa Special Dalma )

Kartika Masa is perhaps the holiest month in the Hindu Calendar. Fasting on the Mondays of this month has a special significance as mentioned in the Puranas. Most people in Orissa give up non vegetarian items (and also onions and garlic in some cases) for the entire month. If not for the entire month, atleast the last five days or 'Panchuka' as it is called in oriya is strictly abided by many.

Womenfolk usually keep a fast and eat once a day on the Mondays of Kartika masa. Their meals consist of arwa anna, habisa dalma and aau khatta. This is a special kind of Dalma that is prepared without turmeric and the moong dal that is to be used is not roasted as usual. Only a few vegetables are sanctioned for this recipe. As 'Habisa' was primarily observed by widows in the earlier times, certain restrictions are imposed on the diet. But now a days quite a few married women observe the fasts and even a few rare men have started following these customs.

This changing profile of the devotees following Habisa has brought about a lot of change in the way this dalma is now prepared. Now people have also started adding turmeric and various vegetables. In fact some married women have this superstitious belief that turmeric should be added for making the dalma auspicious. Defying the very reason why widows are forced to skip adding turmeric. Personally, I don't buy any of this logic. Moreover I can't even use vegetables like Taro and yam as I have developed an allergy to these .

So, I will be sticking to the recipe that my MIL follows ( BTW i have added a pinch of turmeric as my son is a little picky ). Read on:


















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 1/2 cups split moong dal
  • 1/2 cup saru/arbi/colocassia
  • 1/2 cup kancha kadali/raw banana
  • 1/2 cup mati alu/yam
  • 1/2 cup amrutabhanda/raw papaya ( Not used in authentic one )
  • 1/2 cup mula/radish (optional) ( Not used in authentic one )
  • 1 cup kakharu/pumpkin ( Not used in authentic one )
  • 1-2 pieces of aau (slightly crushed)
  • 2-3 whole red chillis ( Not used in authentic one )
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds ( Not used in authentic one )
  • 1 tsp jeera-lanka gunda ( roasted and powdered cumin seeds and dry red chilli )
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 1 tsp crushed ginger
  • grated coconut for garnishing


















Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add broken red chillis, cumin seeds and bay leaf. Fry for 20 seconds. (Skip the above step if you want to keep it really authentic. But it tastes much better this way. The logic behind this step is that Habisa dalma shud not be tempered hence some people add these tempering ingredients while cooking itself. Crazy logic rite ? But when has religion n logic ever gone together !)

Wash and transfer the dal along with 4 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Wash and add all the vegetables to it. Add the bay leaf too if you are skipping the tempering. Close lid and cook for 1-2 whistles.

Remove from flame and allow steam to escape before opening the lid. Add the crushed ginger, jeera-lanka gunda and grated coconut.

Serve with arwa anna (raw rice) and Oou Khatta / sagaa bhajja.


















This is offered as prasad to Dhabaleshwara ( Lord Shiva ) by the devotees before consumption.



















This above pic is a earlier one . I have used quite a few vegetables in this one and have also used a bit of tempering !!








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