Dal Bhat
Nepal's daily staple meal, traced to the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley, part of a rice-and-lentil tradition shared much more broadly across the Indian subcontinent — Nepal's own version is eaten twice a day as a full plate with rice, lentils, a vegetable curry, and pickle. The defining step is the tadka: cumin, garlic, and dried chile fried in hot ghee and poured over the finished dal at the very end, a step easy to skip but essential to the dish's real flavor.
Vegetarian-optionalVegan-optional
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow lentils (masoor or toor dal)
- 2 cups rice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 dried red chiles
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Boil the lentils with turmeric and salt until soft, then mash partially.
- In a separate pan, sauté the onion, ginger, and tomato until soft.
- Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the lentils and simmer a few minutes.
- Make the tadka: fry the cumin seeds, garlic, and dried chiles in hot ghee until fragrant.
- Pour the tadka over the finished dal just before serving, alongside steamed rice and a vegetable side.