I like many things about Rice and Dal. It’s nearly fool-proof, is super cheap to make, plant-based, nutritious, and tasty. I learned to make this dish in my twenties when I was a student in Germany and on an ultra-low budget. I have my sister to thank for the recipe. She sent me a cookbook. I think it might have been titled “budget eats” or something of that nature. For years, this recipe has also been somewhat of a secret. I never would have thought of preparing it for a family gathering because I didn’t think it special or festive enough, but recently I served it as somewhat of an “emergency meal,” when my sister, a different sister than the one who gave me the cookbook, was joining my out of town cousins and me for dinner. This second sister liked it so much she requested the recipe. And talk about full circle. The out-of-towners were our cousins from the northern port city of Kiel in Germany.
I’m giving the measurements for this recipe mostly in volume and weight. I used a dry measuring cup for the dry ingredients and a wet measuring cup for the water.
1 lb brown lentils, rinsed. (about ½ a large Adams Peanut Butter jar’s worth, the 32 ouncer.)
1 cup brown basmati rice (6 ½ oz)
2 c. chopped yellow onion (8 oz)
1-2 T minced garlic (1/2 oz)
1 t salt
1 bay leaf
Cooking oil (Typically I use canola or olive and canola, though this morning I used lard rendered from frying bacon for German potato salad, which I prepped for–you guessed it–the out-of-towners when they were visiting last month.)
In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté onions.
When translucent, add garlic. Sauté one minute more.
Drain the water off the lentils and stir in lentils. Cover with water. (The amount water used depends somewhat on how long the lentils soak, as they absorb water. I usually don’t let them soak more than 10-20 minutes. Basically the time it takes to assemble the other ingredients, chop the onions and mince the garlic, set up my pot.) Add enough water to cook the lentils and the rice, without making them go all mushy or get too dry. (Today I used 3 cups water, then after I added the rice I added a ¼ cup more water. (My eyeballing told me I should add a smidge more.))
Add the salt and bay leaf if you haven’t already done so.
Bring lentils to a gentle boil on medium heat.
Stir in the rice. Bring to a boil again. Once things are bubbling again, cover lid and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for a little less than an hour, 55 minutes, say.
Remove from heat and serve. I often like to put a dollop of yogurt or feta cheese on my dal. Also sauerkraut or kim chi is good. And sometimes I add one of each.
Neighbors North 