Dham
An authentic vegetarian recipe from Himachal Pradesh, India
Cook Time
90 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
HardCategory
VegetarianIngredients
For 4 servings
150g Rajma (kidney beans)
100g Chana dal (split chickpeas)
100g Moong dal (split green gram)
200g Curd (yogurt)
200g Potatoes
150g Onions
150g Tomatoes
20g Ginger
6piece Garlic cloves
3piece Green chillies
60ml Ghee
5g Cumin seeds
2piece Bay leaves
4piece Cloves
2piece Black cardamom
3g Turmeric powder
8g Coriander powder
4g Red chilli powder
10g Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds)
20g Coriander leaves
8g Salt
800ml Water
22 ingredients needed
💡 Pro Tip: Gather all ingredients before you start cooking for a smooth preparation process.
Cooking Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions to prepare this authentic dish
**Soak the legumes:** Soak rajma overnight and chana dal for 2 hours. Pressure cook rajma separately for 5–6 whistles until tender. Pressure cook chana dal and moong dal together for 3 whistles.
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**Prepare the curd base:** Whisk curd until smooth. This is the base for the Madra (curd-based curry), a key component of Dham.
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**Make the Madra:** Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan. Add cloves, black cardamom, and bay leaves. Add sliced onions and cook until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
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**Build the Madra gravy:** Add whisked curd slowly on low heat, stirring continuously to prevent curdling. Add turmeric, coriander powder, and red chilli powder. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the ghee separates.
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**Add rajma to Madra:** Add the cooked rajma to the curd gravy. Simmer for 10 minutes until the beans absorb the flavours. Season with salt and anardana powder.
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**Prepare the dal:** Heat 1 tbsp ghee in another pan. Add cumin seeds, then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooked chana dal and moong dal, season with turmeric and salt, and simmer for 8 minutes.
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**Make the aloo:** Boil and peel potatoes. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add cumin seeds, add potatoes and toss with turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
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**Prepare the boor ki kadi:** Mix leftover dal with curd and spices to make a thin kadhi-style accompaniment.
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**Assemble the Dham thali:** Serve steamed rice as the base. Arrange Madra (rajma in curd gravy), dal, aloo, and sweet rice (meethe chawal) alongside. Traditionally served on leaf plates.
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**Garnish and serve:** Drizzle ghee over each component and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot as a complete festive meal.
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Chef's Tips
Dham is a ceremonial feast traditionally cooked by Botis (hereditary cooks) using wood fires; the slow cooking over wood imparts a unique smoky depth.
The Madra must be cooked on very low heat after adding curd — high heat will cause the curd to split and curdle.
Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) is the signature souring agent in Himachali cooking; don't substitute with tamarind or amchur.
Authentic Dham always includes at least five components — dal, Madra, aloo, meethe chawal, and boor ki kadi — served together as a complete thali.
About This Dish
Dham is a traditional vegetarian dish from Himachal Pradesh, India. This authentic recipe provides exact measurements for cooking 4 servings.
- Dham is a ceremonial feast traditionally cooked by Botis (hereditary cooks) using wood fires; the slow cooking over wood imparts a unique smoky depth. - The Madra must be cooked on very low heat after adding curd — high heat will cause the curd to split and curdle. - Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) is the signature souring agent in Himachali cooking; don't substitute with tamarind or amchur. - Authentic Dham always includes at least five components — dal, Madra, aloo, meethe chawal, and boor ki kadi — served together as a complete thali.
Category
Vegetarian
Cook Time
90 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Hard