Dal & Me: A Love Story Simmering Over Time

Savoring the taste of home across places and memories

The dals we use every day. Photo by the author.

I love cooking as much as I love eating and trying new food.

It all started two decades ago when I moved to a new city far away from home for work. After a long day at work, what I missed most was a simple home-cooked meal.

So, one day, I decided to cook. The first meal I made was — dal (lentil curry) and rice.

Like every other Indian home, it was a staple in mine too. When I was away, living on my own, this was the food I missed the most. But back then, my cooking skills were limited to making instant noodles and Indian masala tea. Though I could cook rice, I had no idea how to make dal.

So, I called my home chef — my mother.

My mother said it was the easiest dish to make. I felt relieved but when she started sharing the steps, it did not feel easy at all. She remained on the phone until I finished cooking.

I couldn’t believe my own eyes when I served myself a meal of dal and rice cooked by me. It felt like the biggest achievement of my life.

A staple of every Indian home

Dal is a lentil. In Sanskrit (an ancient Indo-Aryan language), it means “to split.” That’s…