DAL ,BHAT AND MASU IN DASHAI

This is the basic meal for the country, consisting of rice and lentils, dal bhat. It is composed of white rice (bhat) and lentils (dal) and it is typically accompanied by a vegetable curry (tarkari), a mixture of spicy vegetables (pickles) and greens (sak) and khasee ko masu.

Recipe of Dal Bhat

Ingredients

For the dal (lentils)

1 cup lentils
3 1/2 cup water
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
5 cardamom seeds
4 tablespoons neutral oil

For the bhat (rice)

1 cup basmati rice
3 cups water
Kosher salt

For the tarkari (vegetable curry )

1 lb cauliflower florets
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, cut into thick slices
1 cup peas
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cardamom seeds
1 small chili
A few saffron threads
Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons neutral oil
Water

For the sak (green)

1 lb spinach, chopped
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the pickles

1/2 lb green beans
1 kohlrabi
3 carrots
2 garlic cloves
1 spring onion
Salt
Pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar or wine
1 lime juice

Preparation

Dal (lentils)

Rinse the lentils with water, drain for 10 minutes and pat dry.
Heat oil over medium heat. Fry the onions and garlic for 1 minute and add the pepper, cardamom, salt and garam masala.
Add the lentils and sauté a little.
Cover with cold water and cook covered over medium heat until the lentils get a little mushy (about 1 hour).


Bhat (rice)

Place the rice in water with salt, bring to boil and then keep on low heat until water is completely absorbed.


Tarkari (vegetable curry)

Sauté onions for a few minutes. Add garlic, salt and garam masala.
Add the potatoes and fry well.
Add water to cover three quarters and add the peas, pepper and remaining spices.
Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.

Sak (green)

Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for a few minutes.
Add spinach, cook over medium / high for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add salt, pepper and spices.
Place over low heat, cover and cook spinach in juice for 30 minutes.
Reduce the sauce if necessary.


Pickles

Wash and cut the length cabbage, carrots and beans, fry in oil for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of water and blanch over low heat for 15 minutes.
Add curry powder, vinegar and lime.
Add salt and pepper.
Cook for 5 to 10 additional minutes.
Serve warm or cold.
Serve dal bhat with papadums.

Goat’s meat (mutton) is one of most loved meat varieties among Nepalis. Here is the recipe of pressure-cooked mutton curry. If you are not using pressure cooker, you will just have to cook the curry longer. We Nepali normally love to cook with bones, skin and fats instead of just boneless lean meat. Bone marrow and some fatty meat pieces enhance the flavor of the curry, especially when you make the mutton soup. Goat’s meat has its own deep flavor and doesn’t require much spices and efforts to enhance the flavor.

Ingredients

½ kg Mutton pieces (with bones)
1 medium size Red Onion (finely sliced)
2-3 medium size Tomatoes
1 tbs Garlic and Ginger paste (coarse)
3-4 Cloves
3-4 Green Cardamoms
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Bay leaves (Tejpata)
1 tsp Fenugreek seed
1 tbs  Meat Masala
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Red Chili powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Butter/Ghee
Salt
Fresh coriander leaves

Method

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil and fry  cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and then fenugreek seed. Fry them for around 15-20 secs in medium heat until aroma starts to develop.

Add finely chopped red onion and fry until it becomes soft and starts changing color. Add ginger and garlic paste and turmeric powder and fry further for around a minute.

Add chopped mutton and cook it for around 5-6 minutes with occasional stirring.

Mutton being cooked

By now the meat starts to become brown. Add a tbs of salt (or according to your taste), meat masala and red chili powder. Cook it for around 2 minutes with occasional stirring and add diced tomato. Cook it further for around 4-5 mins until the diced tomato becomes soft and dissolved in the curry, and oil starts to separate from the masala.

Add garam masala, stir it and add a cup of water. Put the lid of the pressure cooker and cook it for around 15 mins (around 4 whistle) in low heat (if you are not using the pressure, cook the curry for around 25-30 mins in low heat with lid on).  Turn off the heat and let the cooker cools down until the steam in the pressure cooker releases completely. It will take around 5-10 mins depending upon the surrounding temperature.

Take the lid off, add a tbs of butter or ghee and give it a stir. If you want to make more gravy or soup, add more water and bring it to boil in low heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.
This quantity serves 3-4 people. You can eat the mutton curry with steamed rice, roti/bread, dhindo etc.  If you are making soup, you can also eat it as starter.