दाल (Dal): The Lentil Cooking System

Dal — the cooked lentil preparations that form the foundational protein of Indian vegetarian cooking — is simultaneously the simplest and most technically nuanced category in Indian cooking. Every region has its dal tradition; every household has its specific approach. The diversity within the single category of "lentil cooking" — from the thin rasam of Tamil Nadu to the thick dal makhani of Punjab — reflects the full range of Indian culinary philosophy.

The Indian dal system — techniques, varieties, and regional approaches.

• Turkish mercimek çorbası (same red lentil soup — same buttered finish), Lebanese mujaddara (same lentil tradition — rice and caramelised onion added), Ethiopian misir wat (same red lentil base — berbe