Comfort In Distress

Daal-Chawal  of course!

It’s not only my comfort food it is also comfortable to make as it require least amount of ingredients and time.

When in stress eat Daal-Chawal

When not in stress make Daal-Chawal

When tired go for Daal-Chawal

When under the weather the only food that gives peace is Daal-Chawal

When bored and out of ideas the easiest is to serve  Daal-Chawal

In every season what gives solace is Daal-Chawal

In every mood the only enhancer and rejoicer is Daal-Chawal

Daal is nothing but split pulses or lentils. It can be just boiled with turmeric powder and salt as per taste. One can also make it spicy by adding a few more ingredients like chopped onion , ginger garlic paste, diced tomatoes , a pinch of coriander powder and garnish it with cumin seeds in clarified butter. Sometimes vegetables can also be put in lentils to make it more filling. Chawal is boiled rice. I  de-starch it as well. It takes minimum time to prepare and contains all the proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals for a healthy lunch/dinner to fill your tummy and energize your body and mind. If you make it a one pot dish it becomes khichdi which is again very simple to make and delicious to eat..

Bengalis are foodies. You ask any Bengali what his/her favourite dish is the answer  will either be fish or meat. However, I am the exception who cannot do without Daal-Chawal. It’s a basic food for rich as well as poor. This is a dish which even if you overeat will not make you sick.

In summers, light versions of Daal is preferred like Dhuli Mung, Laal Masoor, Toor Daal, Dhuli Urad etc. Whereas in winters this plain and simple Daal can become a gorgeous treat when made rich with heavier version of whole pulses or lentils like Maa ki Daal, Whole Mung Daal, Chane ki Daal with Tadka, Rajma, Chhole etc. Indian cuisine can be very rich and spicy as well as bland and insipid as you want it. We have from June to October very humid weather every year in this part of the country when appetite leaves you and most of the time one feels dull and de-energized because of the heat and sweat. It is best to have patliwali Arhar ki Daal-Chawal during this time which is light on stomach. At times, to change the taste Arhar ki Daal can be transformed into tangy Sambhar with lots of vegetables and tamarind paste garnished with mustard seeds, whole red chillies and curry leaves.

For most in North India Daal-Chawal is a go to food. For me best lunch (I seldom have dinner nowadays) is Daal-Chawal with a dry sabzi or vegetable at the most. Choice of vegetables in summers is very less. So different versions of Daal is very satisfying. One of my favourite ways of making Daal is with raw mango!!! It’s what I look forward to in summers.

As it can be seen I can go on and on and on.

So let me put a full stop here.

Traa-Laa-Laa

Enjoy eating your comfort food.