94 JANUARY 2021
ROTI DAL HAS ALWAYS been my home base. It’s comfort food in
its simplest, no-frills, most pragmatic form, and through many
sorry purchases, I’ve found that no store-bought or frozen itera-
tion can do it justice.
The popping oil of tempering spices, the kitchen exhaust on
roaring high, and the shriek of the pressure cooker signaling
that it’s time to set the table are essential parts of the experi-
ence. Adding to its appeal is that dal is endlessly customizable.
Some cook the lentils down to a creamy consistency, while
others let them retain a toothsome bite. Everything from the
spices used to temper to the thickness—varying from slurpable
soup to stick-to-your-bones stew—can be tailored to the moment.
It’s a warming, nourishing, grounding meal, and its rejuvenating
qualities multiply when eaten with family and loved ones.
Our ritual: My mom whips up roti, her bare hands deftly touch-
ing the smoking-hot cast iron tawa with dexterity and speed I can’t
dream of approximating. My brother and I wait at the table for
her to pass the puffed roti, steam escaping from the edges, from
tawa to our plates, and we obsess over “the ratio.” Too much dal
left over in our bowl compels us to ask for another roti. If there’s a
bite of roti left, we have to serve ourselves another helping of dal.
So we go back and forth, lingering at the table until we’re stuffed
and our fingers are stained yellow from turmeric, in hopes of the
elusive, perfect final bite. —ANTARA SINHA
UNPARALLELED DAL
Tadka Dal with
Roti (recipe
p. 102)
COOK
THE
COVER
FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CLAIRE SPOLLEN
