“Daal Chawal” Recipe – Lentils and Rice

Lentils are loaded with fiber and protein. There are different types of lentils but this recipe uses two popular types to make “daal”: masoor daal (split red lentils) and moong daal (split yellow lentils). I usually make the daal more like a soup and serve with rice and achaar (vegetables pickled in oil). You can find the different daals and pickled vegetables at any South Asian grocery store.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

For Daal

2 cups Masoor daal
1 cup Moong daal
4 cups water
Salt to taste
1 tbsp red chili powder
½ tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 cups basmati rice
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
2 tbsp coriander
1 chopped green chili
1 chopped stalk of green onions
4 thinly sliced garlic cloves
3 curry leaves
Optional: 2 chopped carrots and 1 chicken cube stock

**1 Cup is 250 ml

For Rice

2 cups basmati rice
1 tbsp salt
3 cups water
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil or ghee)

Preparation of daal:

Mix masoor and moong daal and rinse with water
Adds lentils to a pot, add water and spices mentioned above

Bring to boil and boil for 5 min then reduce to low heat, cover with lid and cook for 35-40 min until lentils are soft
Blend cooked daal using a blender or immersion blender. Add more water based on how thin you want the daal consistency and mix

Cook daal for another 5 min on high heat and remove from heat
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander (~2 tbsp)

Preparation of basmati rice:

Rinse basmati rice with water and soak in water for 30 min
Drain water, add rice to a pot, and add water for boiling the rice. The ratio for basmati rice to water is 1 cup rice: 1.5 cup water. In this case, for 2 cups of rice, we would add 3 cups water
Add salt to taste, cumin seeds, vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)

Bring to boil and when there is about ½ inch water remaining above rice, cover pot with lid. Continue to cook on high heat for another 5 min, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 10-15 min until rice is cooked through.

“Tarka” to garnish daal:

Heat 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat
Add 1 chopped green chili, 1 chopped stalk of green onions, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 3 curry leaves to the pan
When the garlic turns golden brown, turn off the heat and add 1 tbsp cumin seeds. This is to prevent burning of the cumin seeds