Dal Bhat

What Dal Bhat is

Dal bhat is rice with lentil soup, a vegetable, usually a green such as saag, and pickle. It is not a special-occasion dish; across Nepal it is what most people eat for both main meals. The dal is thinner than Indian versions and is poured over the rice rather than eaten from the bowl.

Dietary: VegetarianVegan if made with oil rather than gheeGluten-free

Where it comes from

The phrase means simply lentils and rice. It is the staple of Nepal from the Terai to the hills, with the accompanying vegetables changing by altitude and season — saag in the hills, more gourd and bean in the lowlands. The trekking phrase 'dal bhat power, 24 hour' is a joke, but the nutritional logic is real: lentils and rice together supply a complete protein, which is why the combination persists across so many cuisines.

How to eat it

Pour some of the dal over part of the rice and mix with your right hand, then eat that before pouring more — the point is that the rice never sits sodden. Take the saag and pickle in small amounts alongside rather than mixing everything at once. Refills of dal, rice and vegetable are traditionally unlimited and offered without asking, so take a modest first serving. Eating with the hand is normal and not considered informal.

Goes well with

• Gundruk ko achar
• A piece of fried fish or chicken curry
• Plain yoghurt

Ingredients

• 300 g Rice — Ordinary long grain; basmati is not traditional here.
• 200 g Masoor or mixed lentils
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Dried red chilli
• 4 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp Jimbu or dried onion herb — The distinctly Nepali aromatic; optional but characteristic.
• 300 g Mustard greens or spinach
• 3 tbsp Ghee or mustard oil
• to taste Salt
• to serve Pickle and lemon

How to cook it

1. 1Simmer the lentils thin

   Cook the lentils with turmeric, salt and plenty of water until completely soft and soupy. Nepali dal is pourable, not thick — if a spoon stands up in it, add water.

2. 2Temper with jimbu and chilli

   Heat ghee, add cumin, dried chilli, sliced garlic and jimbu until they crackle and the garlic turns pale gold, then pour the whole thing into the dal and cover immediately to trap the aroma.

3. 3Cook the saag hot and fast

   Fry garlic and dried chilli in mustard oil, add the chopped greens and cook on high heat for three or four minutes. Mustard greens are meant to keep a slight bitterness; long cooking removes it and the dish loses its balance.

4. 4Steam the rice plainly

   Plain steamed rice, no aromatics. It is the neutral base everything else is poured over, and seasoning it fights the dal.

5. 5Serve on a divided tray

   Rice in the largest section, dal in its own bowl, saag and any curry in the smaller compartments, pickle at the edge.

Calories and nutrition

Per serving — 1 tray (about 600 g)

Approximate values for a typical restaurant portion, calculated from standard ingredient tables. Actual figures vary with the kitchen, the oil used and the portion served. Not intended as medical or dietary advice.

Other dishes to read about

• Chicken Momo — Nepal's steamed dumpling, eaten by hand with a bowl of sesame-tomato achar.
• Veg Momo — The vegetarian momo, where the filling has to be seasoned harder to carry itself.
• Butter Chicken — Tandoori chicken finished in a tomato and cream gravy — mild, and deliberately so.
• Lamb Curry — Bone-in lamb cooked slowly until the sauce thickens around it.
• Chicken Biryani — Rice and marinated chicken layered raw, then sealed and steamed together.
• Mutton Biryani — The same method as chicken biryani, but the meat sets the timing.