Dhal recipes - 4 recipes

Dhal is a classic Indian side dish and comfort food for children with a tummy ache. Dhal is the Hindi word for lentils, and the hundreds of variations of dhal depend of the hundreds of variations of lentils! My recipe for dhal was passed down to me from my Indian father, and changes based on the color of lentils that I can find. You can make dhal quite soupy and eat it as an appetizer or warm winter main dish, or you can make it thick and creamy as a great side dish to Indian curries or stews. The secret to dhal lies in the spice mix that you add to it at the end, called the ''chaunk' or 'tadka'. To make this, you lightly fry aromatic spices like cumin, mustard seeds, chilies and ginger in butter or ghee, and then mix it in with the dhal once it's done. My advice is to make sure that you fry your spices well, until they release all their aromas and perfume your house like an Indian temple.