AI-generated photo.
Nepali · Iconic · Nepal
Dal bhat
Also called दाल भात
Dal bhat, a dish from Nepal (दाल भात).
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Dal bhat is cooked in Nepal as its own dish. Cook plain rice and a separate turmeric dal. Fry cumin and garlic in ghee and pour it over the dal. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
76
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 15%
- Carbs 73%
- Fat 12%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 19.1 g, under the 25 g mark.
Suits · Low sodium
About 436 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Suits · Vegetarian
No meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry basmati rice274 kcal
- Dry red lentils179 kcal
- Ghee44 kcal
- Spinach12 kcal
- Garlic4 kcal
- Ground turmeric2 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 48.1. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 516 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 387 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Stir in a handful of spinach or cabbage near the end.
More fiber without a new sauce. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 516 kcal | 26% |
| Protein | 19.1 g | 38% |
| Carbohydrate | 94.9 g | 35% |
| Fiber | 7.7 g | 28% |
| Total sugars | 1.3 g | 3% |
| Fat | 6.9 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 3.5 g | 18% |
| Cholesterol | 13 mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 436 mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 731 mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 106 mg | 8% |
| Iron | 8.9 mg | 49% |
| Magnesium | 91 mg | 22% |
| Zinc | 3 mg | 27% |
| Vitamin A | 278 mcg | 31% |
| Vitamin C | 15.9 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 1.3 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin K | 242 mcg | 202% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.7 mg | 62% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 15% |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.3 mg | 27% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.5 mg | 27% |
| Folate | 372 mcg | 93% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A middle path: useful food, with one or two numbers worth watching.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Dry basmati rice1.5 cups300 g
Dry red lentils1 cup200 g
Ground turmeric1 tsp2 g
Ghee1.5 tbsp20 g
Cumin seed1 tsp2 g
Garlic4 cloves12 g
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
Spinach6 cups200 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Stir in a handful of spinach or cabbage near the end.. More fiber without a new sauce.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set a heavy pot over medium heat. For Dal bhat, start here: cook plain rice and a separate turmeric dal.
AI-generated photo.
2Cook plain rice and a separate turmeric dal. Fry cumin and garlic in ghee and pour it over the dal.
Cook 30 min
AI-generated photo.
3The liquid should be quiet and the center tender. Stop when this is true of Dal bhat: Cook plain rice and a separate turmeric dal. Fry cumin and garlic in ghee and pour it over the dal.
AI-generated photo.
4Ladle it into warm bowls. Dal bhat is eaten in Nepal as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it.
How you know it is done
Dal bhat is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Dal bhat looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Dal bhat spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Dal bhat, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Dal bhat is cooked by simmer in Nepal. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the fiber, fat, and salt on the panel match this plate.
Notes
Pregnancy. There is no alcohol in the required list. Wash produce and use pasteurized dairy if you add it.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.