Comforting yellow or red lentils slow-cooked with cumin, turmeric, and garlic, tempered with a sizzling tadka of ghee and spices, served over fluffy steamed basmati rice. This is Pakistan's quintessential everyday comfort meal.
Ingredients
1 cup red or yellow lentils (masoor or moong dal)
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 dried red chili
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 tomato, chopped
2 cups basmati rice, cooked
Instructions
1Wash the lentils thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Place in a heavy pot with three cups of water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for twenty-five minutes until completely soft and creamy.
2While lentils cook, prepare basmati rice by washing, soaking for twenty minutes, and then cooking in salted boiling water until each grain is fluffy and separate.
3For the tadka, heat ghee in a small pan until very hot. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle for ten seconds, then add sliced garlic, dried red chili, and sliced onion. Fry until the onion is deep golden brown.
4Add the chopped tomato to the tadka pan and cook for two minutes until softened. Pour this sizzling tempering directly over the cooked lentils, creating an aromatic sizzle.
5Stir the tadka into the dal and serve ladled generously over steamed basmati rice with a squeeze of lemon and fresh green chilies on the side.
Did You Know?
Dal chawal is so central to Pakistani identity that the phrase 'dal roti' is used colloquially to mean basic sustenance or livelihood, much like 'bread and butter' in English.