Dal Bhat

When we went to Nepal last year we had a Nepali househelper who would cook lunch for us, and we would have dal bhat almost every day. Dal means lentils, and bhat means rice. It is a staple meal for Nepalis and also most Indians. An Indian friend of mine told me that she can only go two or three days without dal bhat, and she has to eat it because her cravings for it are so strong! It is a comfort food for many South Asians. I have made it a few times since we left Nepal and it certainly reminds us of good times in Nepal. I tried a new recipe for dal bhat this week. It is more Indian than Nepali in the spices it calls for, but when I have tried to make Nepali dal bhat it never tastes quite right. This was great, very flavorful and a hearty meal. The recipe as written makes a lot, so I would probably half it if I make it again. It was tasty, but my stomach is not used to spicy food and was not happy with me for the next day or so. This is a good recipe though if you like Indian food and you are looking for a vegetarian dish.