Mandira Daal Bhat

The author expresses her deepest apologies for the lack of indication on the required amount of each ingredient. Both the author and her co-daal bhat student were much too absorbed by the cooking techniques, and in particular fascinated by the mortar and pestle used to make hemp paste, to pay attention to quantities details. Trust your instincts, your tastebuds, and remember that daal bhat cooking is no science, it’s art !

Achar (pickles)

1. Heat oil
2. Add fenugreek seeds
3. Separately, mix hemp seed paste (=hemp seed mixed with hot water) or sesame paste + finely chopped onion + grated carrots + cucumber + 2 minced green chilies + fresh chopped cilantro + white vinegar + lemon juice
4. When fenugreek seeds become red, add turmeric and put it into the vegetables
5. Add salt to taste

Saag (mustard or turnip leaves)

1. Heat oil + big red chillies + fenugreek seeds
2. Add saag + salt if necessary
3. Cook and stir from time to time until leaves are tender

Vegetable curry

1. Boil brocoli + cauliflower + potatoes with salt*
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Add chopped red onions + mashed ginger + garlic
4. Add small tomatoes
5. Add turmeric + cumin + salt
6. Stir and cook on medium heat for a while
7. Add the cooked vegetables to the mix and stir
8. Add spring onion leaves
9. Stir and cook for a few more minutes

* can also be done with eggplant, which has to be fried or roasted in the oven but not boiled

Daal (lentils)

1. Put a mix of a variety of lentils in a pot, add water so that the water layer is as deep as the tip of a finger from the last joint
2. Add salt + a spice mix (particularly recommanded: "BMC meat masala mix", available at Bhat Bhateni) + turmeric
3. Add some ghee (or oil)
4. Cook on medium heat for a while
5. When the daal is cooked, add garlic past + gimbu if you can find some

Bhat (rice)

1. Cook rice (duh!)

Et voilà! Bon appetit!