Dhal Bhat

"Dhal bhat power, 24 hours."

-- Nepali saying

Many cuisines are readily identifiable by one dish. For example, jollof rice would be cited for the cuisines of Ghana or Nigeria. Sushi could be identified for the cuisine of Japan, while Pho could be identified for the cuisine of Vietnam. And, if one had to choose which dish could be representative of Nepali cuisine, that dish would be dhal bhat. 

The name translates literally into lentil soup and rice, which is a very good description of the dish. Yellow or red lentils are prepared with a variety of spices, like mustard, turmeric, coriander and cumin, to prepare a stew that is served alongside or with rice.

Yet, to Nepalis, dhal bhat is not just a dish or even a meal. It is a story as old as the people themselves. Nepali farmers have been cultivating both lentils and rice for centuries. Nepali cooks have take those two building blocks to prepare a dish that became the source of fuel or energy for farmers when they went back into the field. Hence the phrase, "dhal bhat power, 24 hours." Between 400 C.E. and 750 C.E., dhal bhat became more popular generally as both Buddhism and Hinduism, with their emphasis on vegetarian dishes, spread among the Nepali people. As time went on, especially during the thirteenth through eighteenth centuries,  dhal bhat went from representing fuel for farmers to a dish that meant hospitality and community. It was something that not only energized farmers in the fields, but also something that brought families together. Even today, when someone serves dhal bhat, it is a sign of regard and respect of the host toward guests. 

There are regional variations of dhal bhat within Nepal. If one travels the terai, which are the lowlands of western Nepal, they would most likely find a thinner dhal bhat prepared with mustard oil and chiles, making a spicer dish. If they headed into the Himalayan mountains, they would be served a thicker stew, with barley or millet serving as a substitute for the rice. 

I found a recipe for a dhal bhat prepared in connection with the Tibetan Nuns' Project, a charity that supports and educates nuns living in India. The dish caught my attention as part of my own Mindfulness Foodways, where I have been exploring healthier foods to prepare. A dish that could naturally provide power for twenty-four hours is far more preferable than western-style supplements. Although the source describes this dhal bhat as "Tibetan-style," it is very similar to the dishes prepared by Nepalis, whether in the Himalayas or the terai.

This dish challenged me in a few ways, but all of them are good. I have eaten lentil dishes in the past, but they are not a regular part of my culinary repetoire. This dish provided a compelling reason why they should be. Quite frankly, I should be preparing a huge pot of this at the beginning of the week and making a small bowl of this part of my breakfast for the day. That definitely provides me with something to think about. Until then ....

DHAL BHAT

Recipe from the Tibetan Nuns Project

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped in small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 tablespoons cilantro and/or green onion, chopped. for garnish
• Water
• Basmati rice
• Indian chutney or pickle (achar) as accompaniment

Directions:

1. Prepare the lentils. Wash the lentils and rinse a couple of time. Be careful to remove any stones. If you have the time, soak the lentils in water as long as you can, up to overnight, before you cook. They can get very soft and can cook faster.

2. Prepare the rice. Prepare the rice according to its instructions. 

3. Prepare the base. Heat the oil in a pan for a minute or two. Add the ginger, garlic and onion and stir fry on high until the onion is a little brown on the edges, about a minute or two. Stir in the cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, mustard seed and coriander powder, turn down the heat to medium and cook for two minutes (stirring often). Add the tomatoes and butter. Stir and cover with the lid and cook for four minutes. 

4. Continue cooking the lentils. Stir in the lentils, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add one cup of water, cover the lid and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in 2 more cups of water, as the water will begin to decrease as you cook. Continue to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

5. Finish the dish. Remove from the heat, garnish with the cilantro and/or green onions. Serve immediately with rice. 

PEACE.

Lahore-Style Lamb Curry

One of the things that I love most about cooking is the ability to transport someone to places that he or she has not been and may not visit.  It starts with a recipe for a dish from a particular country, region, city or even neighborhood.  After gathering all of the ingredients, the prep work gives hints of far away places.  The smells and tastes begin to carry you to the place.  As the ingredients cook, those smells and tastes intensify, and the travels begin to pick up pace.  Finally, as the food is served and enjoyed, the person can find himself or herself at that place.

Maybe I have watched one too many episodes of No Reservations or Bizarre Foods.  Perhaps it is also my love of food-based tours, such as the one I took in Italy.  The one thing that I am certain of is that there is a level of creativity and imagination with cooking that goes far beyond the plating of a dish. 

For this recipe, I find myself in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, Lahore.  The recipe is for a Lahore-style lamb curry.  The ingredients that go into this curry are fairly familiar to someone who loves and strives to make curries ... turmeric, coriander, chilies, cloves.  The one thing that I did not expect was the rather thin consistency of the curry.  This was due to the large amount of water used in the recipe.   At least for me, it seems that curries from the subcontinent -- whether Pakistani or Indian (including regional dishes) -- seem to be a little thicker, like a sauce.  The liquid from this lamb curry was more soup-like than sauce-like.  

In the end, I liked this recipe and I would make it again.  I will experiment with this dish to see what I can do to thicken the sauce.  There are a couple of options, such as letting the sauce cook down after the allotted time for cooking the lamb.  Another option may be to cut the amount of diced tomatoes in half and use tomato puree or tomato paste, both of which would thicken the resulting sauce.  I will definitely provide an update to this post (or perhaps write an entirely new post) with the result. 

LAHORE-STYLE LAMB CURRY

Recipe from Fearless Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons of olive oil

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 onion sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, sliced

5 green chiles, sliced

1 pound of boneless leg of lamb, cubed

1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1/ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

6 1/4 cups of water

2 ounces of red lentils

14 ounces diced San Marzano tomatoes

Chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the lentils.  Combine the lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 12-15 minutes or until the water is evaporated.  The lentils should just fall apart for the most part.  Set aside.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil in a medium saute pan.  Add the onion, bay leaf, cloves and pepper, saute until the onion is golden.  Add the garlic and chiles.  Saute for about a minute. 

3.  Saute the lamb.  Add the lamb, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, chipotle powder, ground coriander, cinnamon and salt.  Saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4.  Add the water and simmer.  Add 3 3/4 cups of water to the pan.  Cover with a lid, reduce heat adn simmer until the lamb is tender, about 35-40 minutes. 

5.  Finish the dish.    Add the lentils and tomatoes.  Stir well and make sure the curry is warm throughout.  Transfer to a serving vessel and garnish with cilantro.

ENJOY!