মসুর ডাল
The everyday red lentil dal of Bangladesh, finished with a sizzling tempering of onion and spice.
Cook’s tip
Heat mustard oil until it just starts to smoke before adding the onion. It mellows the sharpness.
At the table
Dal and rice is the daily meal of millions of Bangladeshi homes. Every family has its own version; this is the simplest.
In this recipe
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ভুনা খিচুড়ি
Rice and moong dal cooked together with ghee and gentle spice: the dish every Bangladeshi home makes when the monsoon rain starts.
মুরগির ঝোল
A light, everyday chicken curry with potatoes, ginger, garlic and warm spices, made to be eaten with plenty of rice.
সর্ষে ইলিশ
Hilsa, the national fish, gently cooked in a sharp mustard sauce. A monsoon classic.
পোলাও
Fragrant rice cooked in ghee with whole spices, a touch of milk and sugar: the centrepiece of every celebration meal.
আলু ভর্তা
Mashed potato, Bangladeshi style: sharp mustard oil, crisp onion and fiery green chilli. The simplest, most loved bhorta.
ছোলার ডাল
Split chickpea dal, gently sweet and fragrant with ghee, coconut and garam masala. A festive favourite.
ঝাল মুড়ি
The spicy puffed-rice snack sold on every street corner, made at home in ten minutes.
মাসালা নুডলস
Instant noodles made special with egg, vegetables and a dash of chilli sauce: the after-school favourite.
দুধ চা
Strong, sweet milk tea, brewed the way it is served at every tea stall in the country.
লেবুর শরবত
A cooling lemon drink with a pinch of salt and fresh mint: the classic way to break the fast and beat the heat.
পায়েস
Rice slowly simmered in milk with sugar and cardamom until creamy: the sweet of birthdays, harvests and celebrations.
সুজির হালুয়া
Semolina slowly roasted in ghee and sweetened with milk and sugar: the easiest dessert in the Bangladeshi kitchen.
সেমাই
Fine vermicelli simmered in sweet, cardamom-scented milk: the taste of Eid morning.
