Dal, often spelled dhal, daal and dahl, is a legume puree or a thick lentil, peas or beans soup that is often prepared with ghee or clarified butter, regularly eaten with rice, roti and vegetables. It is an essential part of Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi everyday dishes. Dal is an excellent source of proteins for those who are vegetarians or follows a diet with little or no meat. Dals are used to make curries and fermented products such as idli, dosa in India. In Sri Lanka, it is most often cooked in a curry together with coconut milk. Curry, in Western world, generally denote to the variety of dishes from Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and other Southeast Asian cuisines. The word is said to have originated from the Tamil word kari, meaning a food with sauce, vegetables and meat.
Curry has two varieties as "wet" or "dry." Wet curries contain sauce made from yoghurt, dal, coconut milk, or stock. Dry curries are cooked with almost no liquid, just little amount to be evaporated, so the ingredients remained is coated with the mixture. It may also contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafoods, either alone or in combination with vegetables. Now curry powder is readily available in all markets. The powder usually includes coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper in their blends. Anytime and any day, you can prepare these simple, spicy and inexpensive dal and curry recipes with whatever you have in your pantry.