Dal, Explained: The Bowl of Lentils That Feeds Nepal and India Every Day

Most people who walk into an Indian or Nepali restaurant for the first time order a creamy chicken curry. That is a fine order. But if you asked a few hundred million people in Nepal and India what they actually ate today, the most common answer by a long way would be one word: dal.

It rarely gets the attention it deserves on a menu, so this one is for the lentils.

What dal means

Dal is both the ingredient and the dish. It means split lentils, peas or beans, and it also means the soup or stew you cook from them. There are dozens of kinds. Red lentils cook down soft and fast. Yellow lentils hold a little more texture. Black lentils take hours and turn rich and creamy.

On its own, a pot of boiled lentils is plain. What turns it into dal is the last thirty seconds of cooking.

The tadka: thirty seconds that change everything

Tadka means tempering. The cook heats ghee or oil in a small pan until it is very hot, then drops in whole spices and aromatics such as cumin seeds, garlic, dried red chili, sometimes mustard seeds or a pinch of asafoetida. They crackle and bloom almost at once. Then the whole sizzling panful is poured over the cooked lentils.

You can hear it from the dining room. The hot fat carries the flavor of the spices through the whole pot, and a bowl of quiet lentils suddenly smells like dinner.

Dal bhat: the plate that runs Nepal

In Nepal, the everyday meal is dal bhat. Bhat is steamed rice. With it comes a bowl of dal, a seasonal vegetable curry called tarkari, and a spoon of achar, a sharp pickle that keeps every bite interesting. Sometimes there are sauteed greens or a little meat.

Many Nepali families eat this twice a day, in the morning and again in the evening. It is traditionally eaten with the right hand, mixing a little dal into the rice as you go, and in a Nepali home the host keeps refilling your plate until you put a hand over it. Nobody leaves hungry. That is close to a rule.

Trekkers in the Himalaya know the saying that grew up around it: "Dal bhat power, 24 hour." It is a joke, and it is also printed on t-shirts all over Kathmandu because it is basically true. Lentils and rice together make a filling, balanced plate that will carry a porter up a mountain.

Dal makhani vs dal tadka

These are the two dals on our menu, and they sit at opposite ends of the family.

Dal tadka

Yellow lentils, cooked until soft, finished with a tempering of garlic, cumin and dried chili. It is light, bright and a little smoky from the tadka. This is the closest thing on our menu to what is eaten at home every day. It is naturally vegetarian, and it goes with plain rice or a roti better than anything else we make.

Dal makhani

Whole black lentils and kidney beans, simmered for hours with butter and cream until they turn dark, thick and velvety. Makhani means buttery, and the name is honest. This is a Punjabi dish, a restaurant classic from Delhi, and it is the dal you order when you want comfort. It is rich enough to be the center of a meal. Eat it with garlic naan.

If your table is ordering one creamy curry already, get the dal tadka for contrast. If everything else is grilled or dry, such as tandoori chicken or kababs, the dal makhani gives you something to scoop.

How to eat dal like you grew up with it

• Order rice or roti with it. Dal is meant to be eaten with something.
• Spoon the dal over the rice, not next to it.
• Add a squeeze of lemon if there is a wedge on the table. Acid wakes lentils up.
• Take a bite of something sharp between spoonfuls, such as pickle, raw onion or a bit of chutney.

Frequently asked questions

Is dal vegetarian?

Yes. Both of our dals are vegetarian. Dal makhani contains butter and cream. If you avoid dairy, ask us about the dal tadka when you order.

Is dal a soup or a main dish?

Both, depending on the dal. Dal tadka is thinner and usually shares the table with rice and a vegetable or curry. Dal makhani is thick enough to be a main dish.

Is dal spicy?

Usually not. Dal is one of the gentlest things on the menu, which makes it a good order for kids and for anyone new to this food. We can make it hotter if you ask.

Is dal filling?

Very. Lentils are full of protein and fiber. A bowl of dal with rice is a complete meal, and it is how a large part of the world eats every day.

Next time you order from us, add a dal to the table, even if you came for the tikka masala. It costs little, it goes with everything, and there is a decent chance it becomes the dish you remember.