Dal bhat

Dal bhat

Dal bhat thali set in Assam, India.
Alternative names	Dal Chawal
Course	Meal
Place of origin	Indian subcontinent
Region or state	Indian subcontinent
Associated cuisine	India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, Fiji
Main ingredients	Rice, vegetable, lentils, chutney or achar
Media: Dal bhat

Dal bhat (Hindi: दालभात, Bengali: ডাল ভাত, Gujarati: દાળ ભાત, Marathi: डाळ भात, Assamese: দাইল ভাত dail bhat / ডালি ভাত dali bhat) is a traditional meal from the Indian subcontinent, popular in many areas of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It consists of steamed rice and a cooked lentil soup called dal. It is a staple food in these countries. Bhat or Chawal means "boiled rice" in a number of Indo-Aryan languages.

At higher elevations in Nepal, above 6,500 feet (2,000 m), where rice does not grow well, other grain such as maize, buckwheat, barley or millet may be substituted in a cooked preparation called dhindo or atho in Nepal. Bhat may be supplemented with roti in Nepal (rounds of unleavened bread).

Dal may be cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, chili, tomatoes, or tamarind, in addition to lentils or beans. It always contains herbs and spices such as coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. Recipes vary by season, locality, ethnic group and family.

Dal bhat is often served with vegetable tarkari or torkari (तरकारी in Nepali) – a mix of available seasonal vegetables. It is also called Dal Bhat Tarkari (दाल भात तरकारी) in Nepali. There may also be dahi (yogurt) or curry made of chicken, goat meat or fish. A small portion of pickle (called achar or loncha) is sometimes included.

• 
  Nepalese-style Dal bhat.

See also

• South Asian cuisine
• Indian cuisine
• Nepalese cuisine
• Gujarati cuisine
• Marathi cuisine
• Bengali cuisine
• Odia cuisine
• Sikkimese cuisine
• Assamese cuisine
• Bihari cuisine
• Awadhi cuisine
• Bhojpuri cuisine
• Trinidad and Tobago cuisine
• Caribbean cuisine

References

• "Dal Bhat".

External links

• Dal Bhat recipe