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Pakistani

Daal chawal

Vegetarian

دال چاول · Daal chawal

Everyday Pakistani comfort food: soft, spiced red lentils finished with a sizzling garlic-cumin tarka and served over plain steamed basmati rice.

Daal chawal is a Pakistani main course, ready in about 50 minutes and made with red lentils and basmati rice. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Daal chawal: steamed rice with yellow lentil dal on a steel plate
Photo: Mrsagar105 / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
5 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
568

Ingredients

4 servings

For the daal

For the tarka

For the rice

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the lentils in 900 ml water with the turmeric (opens in a new tab), cayenne, tomato (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and salt, skimming any foam, until completely soft and creamy, about 25 minutes. Whisk to break them down and add hot water for a pourable consistency.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile bring the soaked rice, 550 ml water and salt to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Rest, covered, 5 minutes.

    • 17 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Refrigerate leftover rice within 1 hour.

  3. Step 3

    For the tarka, heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a small pan. Fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until golden, then add the cumin (opens in a new tab), chillies and sliced garlic (opens in a new tab) and sizzle until the garlic is light gold. Pour over the daal immediately.

    Take the garlic off the heat before it browns; it turns bitter fast.

  4. Step 4

    Serve the daal over the rice, topped with coriander and green chilli (opens in a new tab).

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Indian subcontinent · Commonly attributedLentils with rice is eaten throughout South Asia; this tarka style is typical of Pakistani homes.Also popular in Pakistan, India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Curries · Rice dishes
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled, Steamed
Taste
savoury, garlicky, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Meal-prep friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Red lentils · Basmati rice · Turmeric · Cayenne / chilli powder · Tomato · Garlic
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming · Tadka (tempering)

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

568 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 552 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 68%
  • Fat 19%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy568 kcal103 kcal
Protein18.4 g3.3 g
Carbohydrate97.1 g17.6 g
Net carbohydrate89.5 g16.2 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.6 g1.4 g
Fat12 g2.2 g
Saturated fat6.6 g1.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol26 mg5 mg
Sodium1039 mg188 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
586 mg
Calcium
104 mg
Iron
7.8 mg
Magnesium
66 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
117 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
401 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves, green chilli.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A squeeze of lemon at the table brightens the daal.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the tarka too early — pour it over just before serving so it still sizzles and stays fragrant.

Serve with

  • Traditionally eaten with achar (pickle), sliced onion and a simple salad.

Storage

  • Daal keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes well; rice keeps 1 day.

Reheating

  • Loosen the daal with hot water when reheating; reheat rice until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Spices bloomed in hot fat

For the tarka

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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