This dish features a small, dark brown chickpea called kala chana dal . Generally, it is hard to find, stocked only by Indian or Middle Eastern grocery stores, so it’s a good idea to buy a few pounds at a time and keep it on hand for variety in your dal cooking. Chole…

This earthy, high-protein bean dish, typical in the Punjab, is ideal for the cold winter months, and can be the main attraction of lunch. Although it goes well with hot rice, I especially recommend it with hot flatbreads, perhaps Griddle-Baked Paper-Thin Whole Wheat…

In South India, sambar is always made with toovar dal but it can be combined with almost any vegetable. Besides the green beans, carrots and eggplant suggested in this recipe, you could try broad beans, radishes, fennel root, kohlrabi, parsnip, cauliflower, summer or…

As opposed to thinnish dal soup, this dish is “dry” and “textured”: each bit of dal stands tender yet plump, separate from the others. To achieve this, the dal is cooked in a small quantity of water until it is soft but not broken down. This…

Here is a hearty, wholesome, thick dal soup. Although the cooking time is long, this recipe is by no means laborious, and the delicious result is well worth the time. Some of the spices and seasonings are cooked along with the dals to allow their qualities to permeate…

As vegetarian cooking increases in popularity, so will the use of dals , since they are cheap and high in protein. As people begin to explore the world of dals , they will find that each variety has its own taste, texture and appearance, creating a tremendous range of…

Split peas are economical and require no sorting or washing. In this unusual dish, the flavors of the split peas, apples, coconut, spices and seasonings intermingle through very slow cooking. The result is a zesty, naturally sweet soup that’s very satisfying on…

This is a quick pressure-cooker soup that is warming, nutritious and very welcome on cold winter days. You can vary this recipe by substituting parsnips, green beans, zucchini or corn for any of the suggested vegetables. A nice stew can be obtained by adding large,…

Here is an elegant, mildly seasoned dal soup that is good the whole year round. The ingredients are easily obtained, and the texture is light and pleasant. Yellow or green split peas are transformed into a smooth, creamy soup, and sliced carrots lend color and…

Here is a quick pressure-cooker soup. The rice and legumes complement each other nutritionally and—with the vegetables, seasonings and powdered spices—make a full-bodied creamy soup. Practically a meal in itself, this dish needs only a fresh flatbread and salad to…