The everyday protein
Lentils are eaten at almost every Indian meal, but each region makes them differently. The south cooks thin, tangy dals with tamarind and curry leaves; the north makes thick, buttery ones; Rajasthan mixes five lentils together.
From the south
- Sambar: toor dal with vegetables, tamarind and roasted sambar powder, eaten with rice, idli and dosa.
- Rasam: a thin, peppery tomato and tamarind soup, famous as a cold remedy.
From the north and west
- Dal makhani: whole black urad and rajma slow-cooked with butter and cream, the richest dal there is.
- Dal baati churma: Rajasthan’s five-lentil dal with crusty baked wheat balls and a sweet crumble.
Tempering makes the dal
Almost every dal ends with a : whole spices crackled in hot ghee or oil and poured over. South Indian tarkas use mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing; northern ones use cumin, garlic and dried chilli.
Shared with Pakistan
Many everyday dals are the same across the border. See masoor daal, chana daal, daal mash and rajma in our Pakistani section.