Daal Chawal (Lentils and Rice)
This comforting and nutritious Daal Chawal recipe features a flavorful yellow lentil curry served alongside fluffy white rice. It's a staple dish in Pakistani cuisine, offering a complete and satisfying vegan meal.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 480 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
daal
- 200 gtoor dal, rinsed
- 1,000 mlwater
- 0.5 tspturmeric powder
- 1 tspsalt
rice
- 250 gbasmati rice, rinsed
- 500 mlwater
- 0.5 tspsalt
tarka
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- 0.5 pcsyellow onion, finely sliced
- 2 clovegarlic, minced
- 15 gginger, grated
- 1 pcsgreen chili, slit lengthwise
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 0.5 tspred chili powder
- 0.5 tspgaram masala
garnish
- 2 tbspfresh cilantro, chopped
Equipment
small pan · fork · cutting board · knife · medium pot · small pot
The method
Step by step
- 1
Combine the toor dal, water, turmeric powder, and salt in a medium pot.
About 2 min
- 2
Bring the dal mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and cooked through.
Cook’s note: Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during boiling for a clearer dal.
- 3
While the dal is cooking, rinse the basmati rice thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Rinsing removes excess starch, resulting in fluffier rice.
- 4
In a separate pot, combine the rinsed basmati rice, water, and salt.
About 1 min
- 5
Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: Do not lift the lid during cooking to ensure even steaming.
- 6
Once cooked, remove the rice from heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
About 5 min
- 7
For the tarka, heat the vegetable oil in a small pan over medium heat.
About 1 min
- 8
Add the sliced yellow onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
About 7 min
- 9
Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, green chili, and cumin seeds.
About 1 min
- 10
Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
About 2 min
- 11
Add the red chili powder and garam masala, and cook for 30 seconds more.
About 1 min
- 12
Pour the hot tarka over the cooked dal and stir gently to combine.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: The sizzling sound indicates the tarka is properly tempering the dal.
- 13
Garnish the dal with fresh cilantro.
About 1 min
- 14
Serve the Daal hot with the fluffy basmati rice.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 479.8kcal
- Protein
- 16g
- Carbs
- 84.5g
- Fat
- 8.5g
- Fibre
- 8.6g
- Sugar
- 3.3g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover daal and rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Reheat daal gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed to adjust consistency. Reheat rice in the microwave or by steaming.
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