Daal Chawal with Achar and Kachumber

Daal Chawal with Achar and Kachumber

Daal chawal is Pakistan's ultimate comfort food: creamy yellow lentils (daal) poured over fluffy white rice (chawal), with a sizzling tarka of garlic, cumin and red chillies on top. It is the weeknight dinner of millions of Pakistani homes, the dish students learn to cook first and the meal Pakistanis abroad crave on a cold evening in London, New York or a quiet night in Dubai.

This version uses a mix of masoor dal (red lentils) and moong dal (split yellow mung beans). Both cook quickly without soaking and turn silky and creamy. The flavour comes from the tarka, also called baghar, poured over at the end: garlic and cumin fried in ghee or oil until golden, with whole dried red chillies for gentle heat.

A plate of daal chawal is not complete without its sides. A quick kachumber salad of tomato, cucumber and onion adds freshness, and a spoon of mango or mixed achar (pickle) brings heat and tang. Red lentils are sold in every supermarket, and moong dal is easy to find in Asian grocers. The whole meal is ready in 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (100 g) masoor dal (split red lentils)
• ½ cup (100 g) moong dal (split yellow mung beans)
• 4 cups (950 ml) water, for the daal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (haldi)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1½ cups (300 g) basmati rice
• 2½ cups (600 ml) water and 1 teaspoon salt, for the rice
• 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil, for the tarka
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, for the tarka
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, for the tarka
• 3 to 4 whole dried red chillies, for the tarka
• ½ small onion, thinly sliced (optional), for the tarka
• 1 large tomato, 1 small cucumber and 1 small red onion, finely diced, for the kachumber
• 1 green chilli, chopped coriander (cilantro), lemon juice, salt and a pinch of cumin, for the kachumber
• Mango or mixed achar (pickle), to serve

Directions

1. Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear and soak it in fresh water for 20 minutes.
2. Rinse the masoor and moong dal together. Put them in a pot with 4 cups (950 ml) of water, the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomato, and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
3. Cover partly and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely soft. Whisk briefly to make it creamy and add hot water if it is too thick.
4. Meanwhile, drain the rice and bring 2½ cups (600 ml) of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to the boil. Add the rice, cook uncovered on medium heat until the water is level with the rice, then cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat for 10 minutes.
5. Make the kachumber: mix the diced tomato, cucumber, onion, green chilli and coriander with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cumin.
6. Make the tarka: heat the ghee in a small pan, add the onion (if using) and fry until light golden, then add the cumin seeds, garlic and dried chillies and fry for 30 to 60 seconds until the garlic is golden.
7. Pour the sizzling tarka straight over the daal and garnish with coriander.
8. Serve the daal over the rice with the kachumber salad and achar on the side.