Singapore-style Beef Dalcha - a local lentil stew
a festive cross-cultural dish you'll find in most Singaporean-Malay weddings!
Singaporean-Malay style Dalcha curry is a commonly underrated dish which was created as a result of a the intermingling of Indian and Malay food cultures. originally, Dalcha’s origins can be traced to Hyderabad in South India. however, an local adapted version of this dish is now found on buffet tables of Malay weddings and other festivities, typically accompanying other festive rice dishes such as Biryani, Nasi Minyak (Ghee Rice) or Nasi Tomato.
Dalcha Daging (meat dalcha curry) typically uses the gelatinous tough cuts of either beef or mutton which gives a melty and rich mouthfeel. this hearty lentil stew is also balanced out with a myriad of vegetables which adds fibre to a protein-packed dish. the addition of sambal ikan bills (as requested by Marlina in the video) is wholly optional!
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Beef Dalcha
(serves 6-8)
500g beef ribs/cheek/chuck/shin (can substitute with mutton), soaked in salt water and drained to remove excess impurities
250g toor dal, soaked in water overnight
1.5 litres water
1/2 cup oil + 2 tbsp ghee (optional)
5 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 star anise
5 cardamom pods
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
6 shallots
40g ginger
5 cloves garlic
2 lemongrass, bruised
3 tbsp meat curry powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
3 pandan leaves, knotted
2 green chillies, halved
Salt, to taste
vegetables:
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, diced
1 large eggplant, diced
6 pcs long bean, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tomatoes, quartered
tempering:
3 dried chillies, broken
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 cup oil
directions:
combine the soaked dal and beef pieces into the pot with 1.5 litres water and 1 tbsp of salt. bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.
in a separate pan on medium heat, combine oil and ghee. once it is hot, temper the cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom for 1 minute. add in the sliced onion and sauté until golden. blend the shallots, ginger and garlic into a paste and add onto the onions, together with the lemongrass.
saute for 7 minutes while constantly stirring. then, stir in the curry powder, turmeric powder and pandan leaves and mix well. fry the rempah until the oil starts to split.
stir in this rempah paste to the beef and dhal stew together with the green chillies. after bringing it back up to a simmer, add in the potatoes, carrot and eggplant. cook until soft and then add in the tomatoes and long beans.
to season the dalcha, heat oil on medium-high heat in a small pan. add in dried chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves until the seeds start to crackle. pour over the dalcha and stir well to combine.
enjoy with steamed rice, nasi minyak, prata or chappati.