Dal Bhat Thali

 

I modeled this thali after roadside stalls in Nepal rather than restaurants in the US or UK, where they tend to be a lot fancier. Restaurant thalis usually include papad, raita, naan or roti, salad, dal, rice, a vegetable and a meat or two vegetables, pickle, chutney, and dessert. Mine is just dal, rice, kale, chicken, and mango pickle (from a jar).

The recipes were inspired by The Nepal Cookbook from the Association of Nepalis in the Americas, with some of my own modifications.

Kukhura Ko Masu

My biggest issue is, American chicken tends to be rather flavorless and heavy topside: a lot of bland breast meat. I much prefer dark meat; you can really taste the difference even when it’s the same bird. I probably should have just gotten legs and thighs, but the original recipe said a whole chicken, so it seemed reasonable to just cut up a whole chicken. I wish the gravy was thicker, but the original recipe does not use a thickening agent, but I left it the way it is.

• 1 chicken
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tblsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tblsp garlic paste
• 4 hot Thai green chilis, split in half lengthwise
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

1. Pat the chicken dry and cut into pieces. Remove chicken fat and set aide. 
2. Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry chicken fat to render. Add dry spices and fry until fragrant.
3. Add chopped onion and sauté until brown. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, and green chilis and sauté for a couple of minutes.
4. Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides.
5. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken bouillon powder. Cook covered over low heat for 45 minutes.

Dal Tadka

• 1/4 cup moong dal (yellow lentils), soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 2 dried red chilis
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp garlic paste

1. Add lentils, water, ghee, salt, and turmeric to a saucepan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. 
2. Whisk the dal with a hand whisk or pulse in a blender. Keep warm.
3. Just before serving, heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and fry dried red chilis and cumin seeds until fragrant. 
4. Add onion and sauté until brown. Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into the lentils, stir and cover.

Bhat

• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup water

1. Put water and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Kel Ko Saag

• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 2 dried red chilis
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 5 oz baby kale, washed and torn into small pieces
• salt to taste
• 1 tblsp water

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add dried red chilis, cumin seeds, and turmeric and fry for a couple of seconds until fragrant. 
2. Add ginger paste and sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Add kale and stir well. Stir in salt and water, cover tightly, and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes.