The Simplest Indian Meal

And what might that be, you ask? Well, allow me to inform. It consists of the following:

Dal (Lentil Soup); Chawal (Rice); Ghee (Clarified Butter); Achar (Pickle); Papad (wafer-thin lentil crisps)

No matter where you go in India, you can find a variation of this very rudimentary meal served for either lunch or dinner. The variations consist in the type of Dal (I made an arhar/toor dal with carrots), the Achar (I have an assortment), and the Papad (these are appalams). The Ghee is an indulgence, but a much-welcomed one if the Dal and Chawal are piping hot.

This was what I made for dinner last night. The very simplest of Indian meals. And very close to being the perfect one! See for yourself:

Note on the dal: The dal was pressure-cooked with one red onion, seven green chillies, 4 long carrots, and a pinch of turmeric. After being cooked thus, everything was beautifully pureed together with a hand-blender. The tadka (seasoning) was the classic one: hing (asofoetida), rai (mustard), zeera (cumin), sookhi-mirch (dry red chillies), lassan (garlic), and karipatta (curry leaves).

Yeh hui na baat!