Sikkimese Dal

The everyday Sikkimese-Nepali lentil soup — masoor or toor dal cooked until soft and seasoned with a tempering of cumin seeds, dried red chilli, garlic, and turmeric in oil, finished with fresh coriander. Simpler and less spiced than North Indian dal; the Sikkimese version uses more fenugreek seeds and sometimes a pinch of asafoetida in the tempering, and the consistency is thinner and more liquid than a restaurant dal. Poured over rice or dhindo at every meal; the combination of dal-bhat (rice-lentil) is the daily foundation of Sikkimese-Nepali nutrition, providing complete protein through complementary amino acids.