Dal, Dahl, Dhal or Daal?

The Dal I make every Monday

Growing up, I never got too excited about dal night. I thought it was a bit bland, too mushy, and kind of a nothing meal? Mum made it often, even though my brother and I would complain in our whiney Australian accents, “Not dal againnnn!” Spoilt, I know.

Mum grew up in a small country town about six hours south of Sydney. She met Dad after moving to what she would call “the big city”, Sydney. Dad had come to Australia as a young boy for boarding school. When they decided to get married, Mum had to learn how to cook Indian food from my Chi Chi (grandmother). Like in most Indian households, dal was a staple - so naturally, it became one in ours too.

Now when Mum says she’s making dal for dinner, I actually look forward to it. It’s one of my favourite meals - and something I’ve started cooking almost every Monday. We’ve come full circle to the dal nights I grew up with.

The version I make now is a bit of a twist on the one Mum used to cook. It’s nice making something your own. This is the kind of dish that’s easy to adjust depending on what you feel like (or what’s in the fridge). Sometimes I keep it super simple, other times I’ll load it up with ginger, or stir through tomatoes and a generous splash of coconut milk.

I almost always have all the ingredients on hand - it’s one of those low-effort, high-reward meals. Once you’ve got your spices stocked, it costs next to nothing. I like using a good-quality bone broth for extra nourishment (or homemade if I’ve had a productive Sunday), but filtered water is just as good. That’s how it’s traditionally made, anyway.

Dal recipe passed down from my grandmother (with a few changes along the way)

Serves 2-4 people (I make this for 2 and it lasts us a couple of days)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp good quality Ghee (alt Olive Oil)

• 2-3 cloves of Garlic (chopped finely)