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Dubuk
Thick lentil curry
डुबुक: soaked pahadi lentils ground and simmered into a thick, smooth Kumaoni gravy
Dubuk is a Kumaoni winter staple from the hill villages around Almora and Pithoragarh, where soaked bhatt (black soybean) or gahat is ground on a stone and simmered slowly in an iron kadhai until it turns thick and dark. It is eaten with plain rice on cold evenings, and the iron pot gives it its slightly earthy colour and taste. Toor dal or a mix of toor and urad works well if you cannot find pahadi lentils. The common mistake is grinding the lentils to a fine paste and boiling hard, which makes dubuk gluey; grind coarse and keep the simmer gentle. Chef's tip: stir in a spoon of the rice paste only at the end, and only if the gravy needs body, because the lentils thicken a lot as they stand.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dubuk
- 5 ½ oz pahadi toor dal or bhatt (black soybean)soaked 6 hours or overnight
- 3 ¾ cups water
- 1 tbsp raw ricesoaked with the dal
- 1 tsp salt
For the tadka
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp jakhya seeds (or cumin)
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp gingergrated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
To serve
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 5 ½ oz pahadi toor dal or bhatt (black soybean) and 1 tbsp raw rice and grind them coarsely with 100 ml of the 3 ¾ cups water to a rough, grainy paste, like wet semolina.
5 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy (ideally iron) kadhai until it smokes lightly, then cool for a few seconds and add 1 tsp jakhya seeds (or cumin), 2 dried red chillies and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing); let them crackle for 20 seconds.
2 minStep 3: Add 4 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp ginger and fry on medium heat until the garlic is golden at the edges.
2 minStep 4: Stir in ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander and ½ tsp red chilli powder with a splash of water and cook for 1 minute so the spices don't burn.
1 minStep 5: Add the lentil paste and fry it, stirring, for 5 minutes until it smells nutty and darkens a shade.
5 minStep 6: Whisk in the rest of the water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, stirring so nothing sticks.
5 minStep 7: Lower the heat and simmer, half covered, stirring every few minutes, for 25–30 minutes until the dubuk coats the spoon thickly and a film of oil shows at the edges.
30 minStep 8: Taste for salt, scatter 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dubuk take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of raw rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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