While walking through the crowded tourist streets of Thamel, you will surely notice some people wearing a T-shirt with « Dal Bhat 24h power » written on their chest. If you have just arrived in Nepal, you may not yet know what Dal Bhat is. But, if you have been here for a few days already, I bet you have already had the chance to taste the national dish of Nepal.

Dal Bhat is undoubtedly the culinary emblem of Nepal; you will find it on every street corner, in a luxury version in hotels with cooked rice, meat, chapati bread, and sweet yogurt, or in poorer villages with puffed rice and toasted soybeans. Moreover, in addition to rice, there is always a lentil soup, more or less thick, depending on the available ingredients. The name Dal Bhat comes from these two key ingredients: Dal means lentils while Bhat means cooked rice.

Nepalis eat Dal Bhat for breakfast to have energy all day and also at the end of the day after work. It is not uncommon for Nepalis to eat the same thing every day. If they happen to get hungry during the day, they will satisfy their craving with snacks or unleavened bread found at roadside stalls or local restaurants.

To taste a real Dal Bhat, venture behind the doors, or rather the curtains (which serve as doors) of the local restaurants that abound in the capital. In these places, using the right hand (the left is reserved for the toilet) is the norm for dining. Metal cutlery has a bad reputation for dulling the taste and making diners lose weight, which is quite unfortunate in a country where malnutrition prevails.

In tourist restaurants, the Dal Bhat ceremony is worth the detour, as much as the flavor of the different dishes. This Nepali specialty will be served on a metal tray, called a thaali, where all the components of the meal except the rice will be in very pretty small bowls. You will be invited to pour the lentil soup directly over the rice, mix it roughly, and dig into this delight while it’s still hot, occasionally mixing in the vegetables and, if you’re brave, the achaar. Don’t be surprised if the servers come to refill your plate; Dal Bhat is served as much as you want until you’re full. Just what you need to recover from a trek!

The Nepalese are right to keep this meal in their lifestyle; it is perfectly balanced and contains all the nutrients the body needs to function well, provided that all the foods are present in sufficient quantities. In many villages where poverty prevails, the consumption of vegetables, meat, and yogurt is very rare, making it a dish quite poor in nutrients.

To have all the nutrients necessary for the human body, Dal Bhat must consist of:

• rice for carbohydrates and therefore energy
• lentil soup for hydration and plant-based proteins
• vegetables cooked in curry (tarkari) for fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and antioxidant spices like turmeric
• raw vegetables for even more vitamins and freshness
• Yogurt for calcium and to cool the fire you will have in your mouth after trying the achaar (a mix of vegetables and vinegar flavored with chili, ginger, and garlic)

Originally, Dal Bhat is a vegetarian dish (meat is very expensive in Nepal), and it will be served to you in this form unless you specify that you want to eat animal flesh. Don’t worry, if you choose the vegetarian option, you will have enough protein, even to climb Everest.

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