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Mahura
Mixed vegetables with dal
ମହୁରା: temple-style mixed vegetables with dal and a sweetish cumin-coconut paste
Mahura is the vegetable curry of the Jagannath temple tradition in Odisha and a fixture on Rath Yatra lunches at home: pumpkin, raw banana, yam, aubergine and sweet potato cooked soft with a little dal and a paste of roasted cumin, ginger, coconut and a touch of jaggery. Like all temple food it uses no onion, garlic, tomato, chilli powder or New World vegetables, so it tastes gentle, earthy and faintly sweet. It is thicker and more vegetable-heavy than dalma, with the dal only binding the vegetables. Common mistake: stirring too much once the pumpkin softens, which melts it into the gravy; the mahura is done when the yam is tender, the vegetables hold their shape and the gravy coats them. Serve with kanika or plain rice. Chef's tip: finish with a pinch of roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder ground together (bhaja masala), which Odia cooks add right at the end.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the curry
- 1 ¾ oz toor dal or chana dalwashed, soaked 20 minutes
- 2 ½ cups water
- 5 ½ oz yellow pumpkin2 cm cubes
- 1 raw bananapeeled, cubed
- 3 ½ oz elephant-foot yampeeled, cubed
- 1 small auberginecubed
- 3 ½ oz sweet potatocubed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp jaggery
For the paste
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerchopped
- 1 ¾ oz fresh grated coconut
For the tempering
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 1 bay leaf
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer 1 ¾ oz toor dal or chana dal in half the 1 ¼ cups water for 20 minutes until soft. Do not mash fully.
20 minStep 2: Dry-roast 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds for 1 minute until fragrant, then grind with 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger and 1 ¾ oz fresh grated coconut and a splash of water to a smooth paste.
4 minStep 3: Heat 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil in a pot over a medium heat. If using mustard oil, heat until it just smokes, then cool for 30 seconds. Add 1 tsp panch phoron, 2 dried red chillies and 1 bay leaf and let them crackle.
2 minStep 4: Add 3 ½ oz elephant-foot yam, 1 raw banana and 3 ½ oz sweet potato with ½ tsp ground turmeric and fry for 3 minutes. Pour in the rest of the 1 ¼ cups water and 1 ¼ tsp salt and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
13 minStep 5: Add 5 ½ oz yellow pumpkin and 1 small aubergine and simmer for 8 minutes more until all the vegetables are tender.
8 minStep 6: Stir in the dal, the paste and 1 tbsp jaggery and simmer gently for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens and coats the vegetables. Fold, don't stir, and serve.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mahura take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 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 banana?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
- What can I use instead of sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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