Daal Gosht Chawal - Lentils with Lamb and Rice

Daal Gosht Chawal - Lentils with Lamb and Rice - This is the ultimate comfort food and a dish we grew up on. It is a part of Indian cuisine. Dal Chawal or Dal Gosh Pilau is a delicious meal with succulent pieces of tender lamb in a creamy aromatic dal. It is served with fragrant Basmati Rice and is often served on special occasions. This is my mums recipe and it is delicious! 

bharuchi daal chawal 

This recipe has been coming to the site forever! It is a recipe I send out to loved ones all the time and it is traditional food in many South Asian homes.

I am Bharuchi (from the Bharuch district in India) and my husband is Surti (from the Surat district in India).

Surti Dal Chawal is different to Bharuchi Dal Chawal. Some people prefer Bharuchi Dal Chawal to Surti Dal Chawal and so I am often asked for this recipe.

So much so that I have it saved in my phone to send out any time I am asked for it. 

Dal Chawal is often made for celebratory meals or even a lively weekend! This isn't really a go-to weeknight meal as it does take a long time to come together.

what makes dal chawal so special?

Dal Chawal is very flavourful and comforting. To me it screams home.

It is so much more then a plate of food.

It is Mum, Dad, Siblings and LOADS of screaming kids running around.

It is joy, laughter, teasing, pinching, games and straining to hear your thoughts in a room packed to the brim with humans.

This dish is usually made on special occasions like weddings or Eid.

It is also made regularly in some homes on a Friday (Jumuah), which is a special day for Muslims.

This recipe is most often served with papad, kachumber salad, and pickles.

Ingredients in Dal Chawal

I would love to say that this recipe is made with simple ingredients but it actually has an extensive list of ingredients. Please don't let that put you off though because the recipe itself is super easy!

Rice - Chawal Ingredients

Toor Dal - Pigeon Peas. You can also use split red lentils.

Basmati Rice - A long grained aged basmati Rice.

Onion - Either White or Red.

Whole Spices - Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Stick.

Salt - 1 teaspoon per cup of Rice.

Ghee/Oil - You can add either or both.

Water - Twice the amount of Water to rice.

Daal Ingredients

Lentils - Split Pigeon Peas (Oily Toor Dal)

Lentils are a healthy, nourishing and cheap option for lunch/dinner.

They have a high protein content, but also contain a good amount of starch and carbohydrate. These break down completely to form a smooth creamy Dal.

Lamb - I use Lamb Shoulder as it is very tender. You can use any cut of Lamb or even Sheep meat. 

Oil - You don't need much oil here. Just a drizzle.

Onion - Use White or Red. 

Whole Spices - Cinnamon, Cloves, Peppercorns, Cardamom, Star Anise.

Dagar na Phool - This is also known as Kalpas or Black Stone Flower. 

Ginger and Garlic - Use fresh, frozen or ready made pastes. The frozen blocks are usually quite watered down so I either make my own or use a block each more.

Dry Red Chillies - Dried whole red chillies.

Masala Ingredients

Oil - Or Ghee or both.

Whole Spices - Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Sticks, Black Peppercorns, Cloves, Black and Green Cardamom, Star Anise.

Kasuri Methi - Dry Fenugreek. You can also use chopped fresh Fenugreek leaves.

Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies - Frozen, fresh or pastes.

Tomatoes - I use pureed Plum Tomatoes. You can use fresh Tomatoes that are chopped finely or grated.

Ground Spices - Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric, Red Chilli Powder, Mace, Cardamom, Garam Masala Powder.

What is Dagar na Phool?

Dagar Phool, Black Stone Flower or Kalpasi (Parmotrema Perlatum) is a species of lichen that is used as a spice in Indian cooking. Mainly in meat dishes.

When this herb comes into contact with oil and is cooked, it releases a smoky, earthy flavour.

In this recipe, this is a key ingredient. If you smell it, you will smell the fragrance of Dal Chawal.

how to make dal chawal

The full recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page:

For the Rice 

Rinse and boil ¼ cup toor daal. 

Add oil and ghee to a pan over medium heat.

Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and onions.

Cook till golden.

Then add daal.

Stir in the rice.

Now add twice the amount of of water to rice (in cups of water). 

Add salt.

Bring to a simmer and when most of the water has gone, cover the pot and leave undisturbed till cooked. (Around 20 - 30 minutes).

For the Daal 

Wash the meat.

Add enough water to cover the lamb and add oil, salt, onion, whole spices, Turmeric Powder, 2 cups oily toor daal, Ginger and Garlic.

Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the toor daal has completely broken down. You can also put it in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes. 

For the Masala 

Heat oil/ghee, then add whole spices - cinnamon, bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cloves and peppercorns.

Add 2 chopped onions and a handful of Dagar na phool. 

Once the onions have browned, add methi, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium low.

 

Add tomato and ground spices. Simmer on low until the oil separates from the tomato.

 

When the daal is done - add the masala to it and stir through. Simmer for 10 minutes and then serve hot with rice.

 

Tips to make Daal Chawal

Lemon Juice - Some people like to add a squeeze of Lemon Juice at the end to add some zing.

Curry Leaves - Curry Leaves work really well with Daal. You can add it in the Masala part of the recipe when the other whole spices are added. Or you can temper them in Oil seperately and pour over the Daal. 

Doodhi - Add peeled and chopped Bottle Gourd to the Dal when boiling and then either leave it whole or blend it. This adds flavour and also thickens the Dal.

How to make it in a Electric Pressure Cooker 

This is an easy Dal recipe but what makes it even easier, is to let a pressure cooker do most of the work. Simply add all the ingredients for the Dal part of the recipe to a pressure cooker and boil for 30 minutes.

Storage

Dal Chawal keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 2 months.

Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or stove. Ensure it is piping hot all the way through before serving.

For sides, try:

Kachumber Salad

Onion Raita

More Rice recipes

Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice

Chicken Pulao

Keema Rice

One Pot Peri Peri Chicken and Rice

One Pot Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

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