Nepali Dal Bhat

 Dal Bhat Recipe

Preparation time: 40 minutes (2 People)

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal) (other types of dal can take much longer to cook)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric*
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds*
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder*
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• ½ tablespoon butter or ghee (optional, but it gives a nice flavor)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro and/or green onion, chopped, for garnish
• water, to make soup
• basmati rice (or any kind you wish)
• Indian chutney or pickle (achar) of your choice. We love Patak’s lime pickle. You can also find Patak’s at many other large grocery stores.
• Optional: add pepper of your choice, or red pepper flakes.
• If you prefer, you can use Shan Dal Curry Mix, or garam masala instead of the turmeric, cumin and coriander.

Preparation

• Wash the lentils and rinse a couple of times. Be careful to remove any stones. If you have time, soak the lentils in water as long as you can, up to overnight, before you cook. They get very soft and can cook faster.
• Begin preparing the rice any way you like so it will be ready when you’re done cooking the dal.
• Chop your onion, and mince the garlic and ginger and set aside.
• Chop the tomato and set aside.
• Wash your cilantro and or green onion. Chop for garnish and set aside.
• Heat oil on high for a minute or two.
• Add ginger, garlic and onion, and stir fry on high until the onion is a little brown on the edges, 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, mustard seed and coriander powder. Turn the heat down to medium (6 out of 10 on our stove), and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Note: The stove’s temperature will remain at medium (6/10) for the rest of the cooking process, and you will stir occasionally.
• Add tomatoes and butter. Stir, cover with lid and cook for 4 minutes.
• After 4 minutes, stir in the lentils, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• After cooking for 5 minutes, add one cup of water, cover with lid and cook for 5 more minutes.
• When the 5 minutes are up, stir in 2 more cups of water, as the water will begin to decrease as you cook.
• Continue cooking on medium for 10 minutes.
• Now your dal is ready. Turn off the stove and sprinkle the chopped cilantro and/or green onion on top.

Serve

Serve with rice. Many Tibetans like to serve the dal in a small soup bowl, beside a plate of rice. Some people like to ladle the dal over the rice and mix it up to eat. Indians and Nepalis often eat dal baht with their hands, as do some Tibetans, but many of us also use a spoon.

Add some Indian chutney or pickle (achar) or hot sauce. We can’t more highly recommend the Patak’s Lime Pickle or relish, which is just heavenly and is perfectly complementary with this dal bhat. You can get it medium or hot. Medium is more spicy in a flavorful way than a hot way The hot has some bite!