Dal aur Chawal is an all time favourite combination of any foodie

Even though I am a Delhiite my roots are from Azamgarh, a city in eastern UP. My food habits are a fusion of a Kayastha from eastern UP with that of Punjabi culture of Delhi. The influence of UP means that dal aur chawal (Lentil and Rice) happens to be my favourite food of all time. And when I am saying dal, it is none other than Arhar ki dal (also called toor dal). There is a variety of dal available across the country – Rajma, Masoor, Urad, Toor, and many more. But Toor or Arhar scores over the rest. Arhar is used for Sambhar in the South. On the other hand, it is simply boiled and topped with a desi ghee ka tarka in the North.

The urge for home-made food

In my working days, I used to tour a lot. The more I stayed away from home the more was the urge for home-made food. The day I would come back my spouse knew that I will demand a home-cooked meal. And what better than dal aur chawal and an aloo-gobhi ki sabzi. This trait of mine is something that I share with a whole lot of countrymen. A week away from home and the urge of dal aur chawal become stronger day by day. You can have lunch or dinner at some of the best fine-dine restaurants. However your hungry soul will only get satisfied after it has tasted a proper home-cooked meal.

Dal aur chawal is a combination that is 100% compatible with any other dish whether a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian one.  You can have dal-aur chawal with aloo-gobhi or matter-paneer. On the other hand, dal aur chawal can be relished with mutton or chicken curry. It’s a combination that works 365 days a year. And in case there is no time to prepare a sabzi or a non-vegetarian dish, you can simply have dal aur chawal with an aam ka achar.

Dal aur chawal made by mom

Whenever I invite cousins to home for a family gathering they will request for home made dal aur chawal. They say that the dal aur chawal and mutton korma made by mom is simply irresistible. In return they sponsor the booze. The Arhar ki dal with a desi ghee ka tarka and a topping of burnt garlic makes them travel some 50-60 kms.

My friends at times are surprised when they come to know that Arhar dal is a part of our daily meal. They will never understand the divine taste of Arhar ki daal topped with desi ghee and mixed with rice.

Dal aur chawal makes a healthy combination

A combination of dal and rice is a perfect combination of protein and carbohydrate. The day you feel sick you are treated to Khichdi, a universal dish for all patients. Whether in a hospital ward or a locked-down bedroom, the doctors advice is always to have a light meal. And what better than Khicdi! Khichdi comes in various avatars – Arhar ki daal ki khichdi, Urad daal khichdi, Moong daal ki khichdi. Its best enjoyed with dahi (curd) and a pickle.

But one doesn’t need to have khichdi only when sick. On days when you have a heavy lunch and feel a bit uncomfortable in the evening, the best way is to have khichdi. At times when my family runs out of ideas for an evening meal, I suggest khichdi for dinner with a combination of aloo ka chokha (mashed potato). And if trying out the combination then please top it up with some desi ghee. I am sure you will relish it.

The Dhaba dal

Dal aur chawal is a popular combination that is served by a roadside hawker to a fine-dine restaurant. Nehru Place, one of the commercial centers in South Delhi has several joints that are famous for serving Rajma-chawal, Chole chawal, Kadhi-chawal. The Rajma-chawal served with onion rings, green mint chutney, and a freshly made seasonal pickle is a sumptuous treat especially under a winter sun. And if it happens to be summers you can finish the rajma-chawal or chole-chawal treat with a glass of chilled lassi sprinkled with some Roohafza.

You walk into any fine-dine restaurant and will see the diners going through a menu that offers 101 dishes. The surprisng fact is that despite the  hundreds of dishes people will start their order with Dal Makhani. On the other hand, travelling by road for a vacation is incomplete without a halt at a road-side dhaba. It’s because the dal tadka served with a chapati straight out of tandoor is just heavenly. The dal can be maa ki daal aur peeli daal and is best enjoyed with a tandoori roti with dollops of white butter.

When dal and chawal got separated

There came a time in the jugalbandi (bonding) of dal aur chawal when differences cropped up between both of them. As a result, both decided to part ways. This was a big loss for the food connoisseurs but it also turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the foodies. A stand-alone chawal (rice) dish took a new avatar of biryani and it happened in all the corners of the country. From that day we have the Lucknavi biryani in North to Hyderabadi biryani in South and Kolkata biryani in East to Marathi biryani in West. One can enjoy biryani as a stand-alone dish with a little helping of mirch-ka-salan.

On the other hand, dal decided to bond with new partners leading to the discovery of a whole lot of new combinations. Dal Makhani and Paratha, Idli and Sambhar, Vada and Sambhar, Chole Bhature, Kulcha Chola, and so on.

Seeing that dal was drifting and moving to new partners, rice decided to placate dal in his style. It took a new fermented avatar of idli and dosa. How can one enjoy idli and a dosa without a sambhar? So much was the love for dal that rice decided to even mix with it and took a new disguise of vada that again is enjoyed with a hot bowl of sambhar.

So keep enjoying your dal aur chawal as there is no match to this heavenly combination on this planet.

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