When world renowned food writer and television personality Nigella Lawson posted the picture of the ultimate Indian comfort dish – Dal, Chaval few weeks back, we Indians across the globe couldn’t keep calm. Call it a mere coincidence, Indian food has been one of the top trending topics internationally in the recent times and we Indians are purely loving it!

Be it US vice-president elect Kamala Harris’s crispy Masala Dosa or not-so-easy-to-please Gordon Ramsay sweating it while grating coconut in an Indian household, for adding it into a lip-smacking Kerala delicacy, Indian food is in news for all good reasons and we are not certainly complaining it in 2020.

Also Read: 5 Dals That Must Be Part Of Your Daily Diet
Recipe For Dal Chaval

Nigella Lawson’s post, with a droolworthy picture of ghee laden dal-chaval sprinkled with grounded spices is all that we heart on a rainy evening, after a tough day at work or even while lazing around. Dal (lentils cooked in water) and Chaval (plain rice), with few spices, ghee is quite a filling, intense and a complex combination of flavours - a rich source of vitamins, minerals, protein and antioxidants.

Noted nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, strongly recommends including dal and chaval at nights for those on weight loss regimen and gorgeous actress Kareena Kapoor on many occasions confessed how this humble dish contributed greatly towards her health and overall wellbeing.

Also Read: My Dinner Was Dal and Rice For A Month. And This Is How Transformed Me

In her Instagram post Nigella Lawson wrote, "Meanwhile, over on @foodim, this soothing picture of Dal Chaval (rice and lentil soup) by @nutsisnitin is #postoftheweek. Am hoping Nitin might give us the recipe! Will keep you posted," wrote Nigella Lawson in her post.”

While we wish Nigella gets to cook authentic Dal and Chaval recipe and treat her guests, here is how you can cook it in a trice and enjoy to your heart’s content.

Dal, Chaval:

1 cup rice

1/2 cup toor dal

2 tsp desi ghee

1 tomato, roughly chopped

½ tsp jeera

½ tsp hing

2 garlic pods, crushed

1 green chilli, slit

Salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add rice, toor dal, tomato along with 5 cups of water

Cook it on medium flame for 5 to 6 whistles. Let the cooker cool down, mash the rice and dal mixture completely

In a kadai, add desi ghee, cumin seeds, garlic pods, green chilli, hing and fry

Add this tadka, salt to the dish and give it a good stir. If you want, add more ghee for that extra taste

Serve hot with papad

Nutrition:

Toor dal consists fibre, protein and healthy carbs and a powerhouse of folic acid. Include toor dal in your daily diet to fight sudden fatigue, midday hunger pangs and build immunity. Rice is a rich source of carbs, calcium, iron and provides body with instant energy. Adding desi ghee to your food will prevents blockages in the arteries besides increasing the levels of good cholesterol. Garlic is loaded with vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium and magnesium while jeera and hing aid in digestion. Tomatoes give you ample amounts of antioxidants for overall health. All the ingredients in this dish aid in better absorption of the nutrients into the body and do not contribute to weight gain.