My ultimate comfort food – this is a dish we grew up on. Dal Chawal or Dal Gosh Pilau is a delicious meal with succulent pieces of tender lamb in a creamy aromatic dal. This is a recipe from my mum and it is delicious!
Bharuchi Dal Chawal
This recipe has been coming to the site forever.
It is a recipe I send out to loved ones all the time.
I am Bharuchi (from the Baruch 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.
Lentils
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.
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 as high as kites because Nani gave them all sweets.
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 just on a normal day or on a Friday (Jumuah), which is a special day for Muslims.
t is served with papad, kachumber salad, and pickles.
How to make Dal Chawal?
For the Daal -
In a seperate pot make the Masala -
The point I realised that I forgot about the bay leaves. I heated them in a dry pan before adding them in!
Storage
Dal Chawal keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 2 months.
For sides, try:
More Rice recipes
Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice
One Pot Peri Peri Chicken and Rice
One Pot Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice
**If you make this recipe, please tag us on instagram.
I also think that I will make a video for this because it sounds so much more daunting then it is.
Dal Chawal
Ingredients
Rice
- 1/4 cup Toor Dal
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2.5 cups Rice Long grain, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
- 5 cups Water Boiled
- 2.5 tsp Salt
Dal
- 2lb Lamb Shoulder or Leg Cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 small Onion Chopped into chunks
- 1 large Cinnamon Stick
- 12 Cloves
- 10 Black Peppercorns
- 10 Green Cardamoms
- 2 Star Anise
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 cups Oily Toor Daal
- 1 inch Ginger Crushed
- 4 cloves Garlic Crushed
- 2 Dry Red Chillies Cracked slightly
- 1 piece Dagar na Phool
Masala
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 6 Black Peppercorns
- 6 Cloves
- 6 Green Cardamom Pods slightly cracked
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 1 Star Anise
- 2 large Onions chopped finely
- Handful Dagar na Phool
- 2 tbsp Dry Fenugreek
- 1 inch Ginger crushed
- 4 - 8 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 Green Chillies slit down the middle
- 250 ml Plum Tomato Tin Pureed
- 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1.5 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 peice Mace Or 1/4 tsp Ground Mace
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
Instructions
Rice
-
Rinse and boil 1/4 cup toor daal for 20 minutes.
-
Add oil and ghee to a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and once frangrant and spluttering stir in the rice. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the water and add the salt and boiled toor daal.
-
Bring the rice to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 5 - 15 minutes (this time really depends on the rice you are using), till all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through. Top with chopped coriander and serve hot.
Dal
-
Add all the ingredients for the Dal to a large pot. Cover with enough water to cover all the ingredients. 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 all in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes instead.
Masala
-
Heat oil/ghee in a pot over high heat.
-
Add whole spices - star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cloves and peppercorns.
-
Add the chopped onions and a handful of Dagar na pool. Turn the heat down to medium/low.
-
Once the onions have browned (about 20 minutes over medium/low), add fenugreek, ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium low.
-
Add pureed tomato, 1.5 tsp cumin powder, 1.5 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric, red chilli, mace (optional), 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional).
-
Simmer on low until the oil separates from the tomato. (The best way to do this is by covering and cooking on low for 15 - 20 minutes).
-
When the daal is done and broken down - add the masala to it and 1/2 cup water. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Dagar na pool - Can be found in South Asian supermarkets. This is a key ingredient. You can skip cardamom powder and mace powder.
Oily Toor Dal and Toor Dal are 2 different Dals and can't be used interchangeably. There are links in the post to show the ingredients.
Using a pressure cooker to cook the Dal, will reduce the time to cook significantly. 30 minutes is enough in the pressure cooker.
Dal - If the Dal isn't broken down completely, you can remove the meat from the pot and blend using a stick blender.
Meat - You can use Chicken instead of Lamb.
AHJ says
I love dhaal chaawal, it was Saturday special when I was growing up, and it still definitely reminds me of home! I’m surti and I’ve never tried the Bharuchi style dhaal. Will give it a go now 👍🏽
Can you recommend any specific shops where I can get the Dagar Phool? (In Leicester). Thanks!
Safira says
I hope you enjoy it! It reminds me of home so much too.
Dagar Pool - I have brought it from A1 and Yours before. I think Pak has it too but I haven't been to Pak in a really long time so can't be sure.
kim says
Such a great dinner option! This recipe was easy to follow and so tasty! I'll definitely be making again.
Safira says
So glad you liked it Kim! Thank you for your review/comment. 🙂
Ann says
I cannot get oily toor dal anywhere and as I have all the other ingredients waiting and ready can I use regular toor dal instead?
Thank you.
Safira says
Yes they will work fine. 🙂
Ann says
I followed this recipe and it was delicious, I will be making this again.
Is there any other recipes you can post using Dagar Na phool.
I would like to try others.
Thank you,
Ann
Safira says
Hi Ann,
So glad you enjoyed it! There isn't at the moment. I have a Haleem recipe coming which Dagar na Phool can be added to as an optional ingredient.
Ann says
I made this recipe which the whole family thought was lovely
Have you any more recipes using Dagar na Phool
Safira says
So glad to hear it!
Danielle Wolter says
The flavors in this were just incredible! I love lamb so was very excited to make this. And it turned out perfect!
Safira says
Glad you enjoyed this Danielle!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
Can't wait to give this one a try! I've been making so many dals, just love all the big flavors!
Safira says
Hope you love it!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
What a delicious and comforting meal! My mouth is watering at the thought of it so will definitely be trying this!
Safira says
I hope you love it as much as we do. It really is a recipe that means 'home' to us.:)
Yasmin says
Salaams and thank you. Can I use chicken for this recipe and if so I assume a whole chicken cut in pieces would be equivalent to the amount of lamb you use?
Safira says
Yes Chicken works really well and 1 chicken is perfect. xx
S says
Assalaamu’alaykum sis, just about to try this out.
For the dagaar na phool do I chop fine/ground or just just leave it as it is?
Thank you! X
Safira says
Waalaykumusalam,
So sorry, just saw this. We had no internet for the past 4 days.
Just leave it as it is. x
Neil says
Hello,
Little bit uncertain " Rinse and boil 1/4 cup toor daal" what do you do with this add it to rice before or after it has cooked.
Safira says
Hi Neil,
Apologies for the confusion. I have updated the instructions. After it is boiled, add it to the rice before it is cooked.
🙂
Neil says
Thanks, sorry for double post.
Arif says
This was always my friday meal. This recipe is sublime.
Cant wait to have it again.
Safira says
Glad you liked it. Thank you for your comment. 🙂
romeo says
yummy and tasty forever the taste of dalchawal. thanks
Safira says
You're welcome. Thank you 🙂