Dal-bhaat-tarkari is the staple food in the lower altitudes of Nepal. Most Nepalese there never eat anything but this, so "dal-bhaat" has become synonymous for any meal. It is steamed rice (bhaat), dal and stir-fried vegetables (tarkari, which is the name for all dishes in which the vegetables are cooked in little more than their own moisture, or maybe enough water to cover the bottom of the pot). The dal and the vegetables are spiced with garlic, ginger, chillies, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt. There are no fixed quantities for the spices, but I'll give some guidelines. The quantities of dal and vegetables should yield enough for 4 persons. Cook an according amount of rice to go with it.
Ordinarily this is eaten with bare hands. Dal is poured over the rice, and together with the vegetables a ball is formed which can be transported to the mouth. I find it convenient to spoon the rice, dal and tarkari in that order into a bowl and eat it with a spoon. A cheap and good, filling meal.
Dal
1 big onion, sliced in moons
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Half an inch of ginger, grated
1 - 1.5 cups of split red lentils (masoor dal), washed and picked over
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Chili powder, chili flakes and/or fineley sliced green chilis at your own discretion
Salt
Oil
Fry the onion, garlic and ginger (and green chilies if using) in oil until the onions start to turn golden, taking care that the garlic doesn't burn. Add the lentils, stir and cover with water. Add the turmeric and chili powder or flakes, and stir and cook until the lentils have disintegrated. While cooking, if needed, add water to get a thick soupy consistency. Add salt to taste.
Tarkari
1 pound of firm vegetables (potato, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, kohlrabi), cut in bite size pieces
4-5 ounces of peas (frozen will do)
Half an inch of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon of ground cumin powder
1 teaspoon of ground coriander powder
Chili powder, chili flakes and/or fineley sliced green chilis at your own discretion
Salt
Oil
Fry the ginger and spices briefly in oil. Then add the firm vegetables, stir to cover with the oil and spices and pour in some water to cover the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionaly and adding water if nessecary to prevent the vegetables form burning. Then add the peas and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Add salt to taste.
Also see: www.food-nepal.com