Try my Nepalese Red Lentil Dahl for a healthy and vegetarian dinner option! Red lentils cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and aromatic spices into a delicious curry served over plain rice.
A month after Brad and I got engaged he left for Nepal and I went to live in the Philippines for a year. Crazy? Looking back, I really do think so!
We spent almost a year apart, then were married only 7 weeks after returning to the States. During those long months all we had for communication was email and handful of 10 minute phone calls. No Skype, no FaceTime…
How we survived I have no idea but that year apart has proven to be one of the most romantic times we’ve had. His letters were amazing, I still read them from time to time.
I knew everything there was to know about his life in Kathmandu and whenever he was away from the city up in the mountains.
He talked a lot about food and the passion he developed for everything Nepali. There were many foreign words I didn’t understand, one of them being- Dahl.
What is dahl?
Dahl, dhal or dal was some sort of a lentil soup/curry that was apparently served at every single meal and, instead of getting fed up with that stuff, he kept insisting it was glorious. Traditionally it is served with rice and called Dahl Bhat.
Every cook has their own recipe that slightly differed from the other but Brad never tasted one dahl he didn’t like. I was so curious I asked him to learn how to cook.
When he got back home he had a recipe carefully copied into a stained, dog-eared notebook that lived through Everest with him. He couldn’t wait to cook it for me.
I was smitten with the idea of him wanting to cook for me, and loved it. It became a staple in our house.
I was amazed that such simple ingredients produced such deep and rich flavours. This recipe is a part of our story and I know we will cook and eat dahl for ever. 
One of the best parts of this simple dish is the combination of spices- ginger, coriander, garlic, just a hint of red chillies.
So warm and comforting. So simple to make.
What to serve with dahl
Whenever we have dahl for dinner we always have other dishes to complement it. Although it could be served on its own over Basmati rice, it’s so much more delicious in combination with various curries, pickles, chutneys, naan etc.
If you are looking for recipes to get inspired do check out these recipes.
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
Indian Spiced Meatballs in Curry Sauce
Simplified Cauliflower and Potato Curry “Aloo Gobi”
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp.- ghee or oil
- 1- onion chopped
- 2 cloves- garlic crushed
- 2 " piece- ginger grated (about a size of your thumb)
- 1 tsp.- coriander seeds crushed
- 1/2 tsp- turmeric
- 1/2 tsp- red chilli powder
- 225 gr/1 cup- red lentils
- 750 ml/3 cups- water
- 1/2-1 tsp-salt
- 2 tbsp- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat ghee or oil in a deep pan and and cook onion over medium heat for 5-7 minutes without browning too much.
- Turn heat to low and add garlic, ginger, crushed coriander seeds, turmeric and red chilli powder, stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes longer.
- Add washed red lentils and stir to coat them with the onion and spice mixture, cook them while stirring for 2-3 minutes. (This step helps the lentils to keep their shape and texture).
- Add water, turn heat up and bring it to a boil, add salt, then turn it to a medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- When the lentils are tender but still mostly hold their shape, stir in fresh chopped cilantro and take it off the heat.
Stephanie says
Hello! I made this recipe last night, and it was truly delicious, and the closest to how I remember eating it when in Nepal. Thank you for sharing, and will certainly be cooking it again. All the best,
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
That’s amazing, Stephanie!! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Marty Johnston says
Tastes of the world. Yum.
I think this recipe could turn Tyrannasuarus Rex into a herbivore.
Thank you for sharing.
Bob says
I ate Dhal bhat almost every day for 3 months when I traveled in Nepal. people wondered why i never got sick of it. But i love it, every place has it’s own variation so it’s different every time to me, some bland, some fantastically incredible, it was my staple go to food there. I’m only deciding to learn now how to make it now coming home. As my sherpa guides said the secret to their heavy carrying resilience was “Dhal Bhat power, 24 hour, no toilet no shower!” 😀
Dana Mann says
In agreement. My husband and I trekked the Nupree Valley for 8 days. Being in out late 60’s, our daily conversation highlight was wondering if we would have that “soupstuff” again. Yup, everywhere we stopped the cave like dining ares was filled with curry and ginger. We couldn’t wait….2nds became only natural as I would slip into the cooking area to help stir.
Today I ventured into Whole Foods for a quick take-out meal…..there before me was Dal Bhat I filled up my container to the overflow, raced home and ate standing up over the sink and groaned happiness with every spoon full. THANK YOU for sharing your personal recipe. I will treasure making it again and again. Bless the lovely people of Nepal. Dana
vikalinka says
Such a lovely story to share, Dana! Thank you!
VIMLA WESTWOOD says
I visited Nepal in 1971 and loved it. I come from Fiji where we have a small Nepali communities, some of whom are close friends of mine.
Dhal Bhat – simply dal and rice is very common term back home. We always say that if there is nothing else we can survive on dhal bhat and may be a pickle of some kind. Like in Nepal, we do have many versions of dhal preparation back in Fiji – from North Indian cuisine, to South Indian cuisine.
Amy Monteith says
I am making it now. It smells delicious. Do you usually cover the dish after adding lentils, or leave uncovered? Thank you! Love reading your stories and getting authentic recipes.
vikalinka says
Hi Amy, I leave it uncovered for some of the liquid to reduce. Thank you for visiting and cooking from my blog.
Josh Phillips says
I lived in Nepal for a year, and I really miss Dal bhat . This recipe is amazing, but still doesn’t taste exactly like how I remember it.
vikalinka says
Hi Josh, I would guess that is because there are hundreds of recipes and each cook has their own. My husband always said every house he went to served a slightly different version of it. That’s the beauty of this dish.
Curtis says
I’m so glad that Brad brought the recipe back and that you posted it. This is by far the BEST dahl recipe I’ve seen and everytime I make it now it brings back wonderful memories of the villages, the mountains and that amazing year I had with Brad in that breathtaking country among such beautiful people.
vikalinka says
That is the best review ever! Thanks so much, Curtis! I wish I could see Nepal for myself!
namuna says
hi, just wondering if you use uncooked lentils from a packet or canned lentils that are already cooked? i’ve just come home from living in nepal for three years and am missing my dahl everyday! i have tried a few different methods but just find it hard to make the dahl taste as good as if does in nepal! this recipe sounds great, i’ll be sure to give it a shot! dhanyabad (thankyou) 🙂
vikalinka says
I use dried red lentils, Namuna. I hope this recipe will do the trick for you!
Vanessa says
Hello there!
This is literally almost the same way I prepare dal. Great! Nepali cuisine is very yummy, I totally lost my heart to this country! You should try Mo:Mo: too! Aw, all this food made me hungry 😀 Tomorrow I am gonna make dal bhat 😀 Yay!
Cora says
This dahl recipe was absolutely wonderful!
It was so easy to make after a long day at work and tasted fabulous. Even the left overs the next day tasted delicious.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
vikalinka says
Thank you for sharing your experience, Cora. Although I didn’t grow up eating dahl it is now one of my comfort food dishes!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I have never experienced dahl, but I must try this and by the sounds of it, I will be experiencing the real thing (which is always a good thing 🙂 Thanks for linking up my Indian Stew, too! Have a great weekend.
bibek dhakal says
You can’t imagine the feeling when you encounter foreigners posting one of the declicacies of your country ,and that too, in such an authentic way as using the word ‘ghee’ in the ingrediants section without translating into butter. I’m not exaggerating but your recipe is quite original: it’s the same way most Nepalese cook Daal . Thanks to you and your husband.
vikalinka says
Oh my goodness, you made my day! Thank you for such a lovely comment. 🙂
Marie - Amira belly dancer says
That is a lovely comment you have left 🙂 I have just this second eaten my daal and absolutely loved it!! Thank you so much for the recipe vikalinka! 😀 I wanted to ask you, Bibek, what I would eat this with? I have just eaten it with some rice, but would like to have a meal out of it with two other parts to it. The daal is amazing on it’s own with the rice, but I felt like I wanted an extra bit of colour on my plate 🙂 I am a vegan, so no animal products for me. Thank you in advance. 🙂
Curtis says
The Nepalis will often eat Dal Bhat with Tarkari, which is like a vegetable curry. It is a beautiful compliment to this dish. Most tarkaris are a mix of chopped potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, onion, garlic, with a curry spice (turmeric, cumin, coriander and oil),
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Your lentils look wonderful, I love the aromatics!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Hello! This sounds amazing and really simple, too. Here in Greece where I’m living, there’s a lentil soup dish that I suspect ends up tasting a little similar to this. It’s delicious so I’m sure I’d like this too!
vikalinka says
Hi Helen, I just love lentils in any recipe, such comfort food for me!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
being from Kathmandu,Nepal its nice to see daal here. im so glad you guys are enjoying it.
vikalinka says
Oh wow, Dixya, I hope this recipe is at least close to how you’d cook it. My husband swears that’s how their cook made it every day!
Nik@ABrownTable says
I love dal, I make it once a week at home. Your version looks deliciously gorgeous.
vikalinka says
Thank you, Nik! I am so relieved it’s approved by you. 😉
Tammy says
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
vikalinka says
You are so welcome, thank you for visiting Vikalinka.