Dal Bhat

This staple of Nepal is a delicious and substantial meal as an alternative to a meat based meal and contains all sorts of good things from a dietary and nutritional point of view. I have taken to cooking it in a similar manner to a biryani (see previous post) as I feel that the textures and flavours combine beautifully in this manner.

It is a pretty basic meal that can be eaten breakfast morning or night as you see fit. The version I made here includes black lentils ( Beluga dal), brown lentils (Masoor dal), tamarind and aubergine so theres a pretty dark to black look and feel to it but you can use other lentils and dont let the colour put you off! The lentils used here retain their shape as long as you dont overcook them, unlike red lentils for example which tend to mush up a bit - not necessarily a bad thing but not what I was looking for in texture.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of mixed black and brown lentils (Beluga and Masoor dal)

• 1 medium onion finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic minced (see method)

• 2 red bird's eye chilies (chopped)

• 1 large aubergine

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp Ghee

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• pinch ground mace

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp tamarind sauce

• 1 cup rice (long grain or basmati)

• salt to taste

Method

First set the ovem to 230C (fan). Then wash and cut the aubergine into large dice. Place in a bowl and pour over the tbsp of olive oil. Mix well to take up all the oil.

Lay aubergine pieces flat on baking parchment on a flat tray and roast in the middle of the oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until the aubergine is toasted but not burned. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 160C (fan).

Rinse the dal in cold water and check for stones etc. Then bring to boil in about 3 cups water and boil for 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat - these are not cooked but will continue in the oven when added to the rice to cook. Drain and set aside.(It doesn't matter if some water is left in the pot).

Meanwhile the oven is at 160C (fan) and add the ghee to an oven proof dish. When at temperature put the dish in the oven to melt the ghee.

Add the chopped onions and the chopped chillies to the hot ghee and allow to cook for about 10 minutes in the oven,

Mice the garlic by peeling and chopping roughly then adding salt and mashing with the flat blade of a broad bladed knife working the knife up and down against the chopping board to mash it using the salt as an abrasive. This will mince the garlic in about 5 minutes

After 10 minutes remove the dish from the oven and add the washed rice, all the spices, the garlic and the tamarind sauce, two cups of cold water and the roasted aubergines. Stir to mix evenly.

Return the dish to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes depending upon the state of the rice and then remove and serve.