The Book of Dals

Dals have been an essential part of the human diet for centuries and they are an integral part of Indian cuisine. There are many enticing varieties of dals to choose from.

Pratibha Karan, in The Book of Dals, takes you on a journey to different regions of the country and shows how locally available spices and herbs, vegetables and fruit impact the food of that region. 

From southern India, you will find Telangana Sambar, Khatti Dal and Dalcha with Vegetables and Meat. They are made using delicious combinations of chillies, tamarind, cloves, cardamom, pepper, coconut, curry leaves and drumsticks. It also has recipes such as Kootu from Tamil Nadu and the famous Bisi Bele Huliyana from Karnataka. Then we have Lentils in Coconut Milk, Katachi Amti and Moong Sprouts from Maharashtra, and Dhansak, a Parsi dish, from Gujarat in western India. Dals from eastern India such as Chana Dal Bengali-style and Assamese Mati Maa; and from northern India, Delhi Rajma and Punjabi Dal Makhani.