Alternative names Dal Chawal Region or state South Asia | Course Meal | |
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Main ingredients rice-and-water dough, vegetable, lentils, chutney | ||
Dal bhat (Nepali: दालभात, Bengali: ডাল ভাত, Gujarati: દાળ ભાત, Marathi: डाळ भात) is a traditional meal popular in many areas of Nepal, Bangladesh and India. 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 yogurt or curry made of chicken, goat meat or fish. A small portion of pickle (called achar) is sometimes included.