About the dish
In South Asia dal is both the name for split pulses – lentils, peas, mung beans or chickpeas – and the thick, comforting dish made from them, an everyday source of protein for hundreds of millions of people. The lentils are simmered with turmeric until soft and then finished with a tadka: cumin, garlic, chilli, onion and tomato sizzled in hot ghee or oil. Every region and household makes it differently: with yellow toor dal and tamarind in southern India, with red masoor dal in Bengal and Bangladesh, or with black lentils, butter and cream as dal makhani in Punjab. It is eaten with rice or roti.
Main ingredients
- lentils
- turmeric
- ghee
- cumin
- garlic
- chilli
- onion
- tomato
Bangladesh: In Bangladesh: ডাল; usually quite thin, made with red lentils and served with rice at almost every meal.
Nepal: In Nepal the heart of dal bhat – rice with dal, vegetables and achar, usually eaten twice a day.
Pakistan: In Pakistan: دال; chana dal and mash dal are popular, as is dal gosht, dal cooked with meat.
Sri Lanka: In Sri Lanka: parippu, red lentil dal cooked with coconut milk.
More: Wikipedia (en)
