I’ll be perfectly honest: It can be difficult at times to be a vegetarian, particularly when eating out at restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, I love salads. But in many restaurants, the salads are the only vegetarian dishes on the menu. If I’m looking for more options, I’ve found that my best bet is to convince my hubby to go to Thai, Chinese, or Indian restaurants (just to name a few). That’s because, while it’s common to eat meat with practically every meal in our culture, meat isn’t such a staple in many other cultures.

In an effort to broaden my horizons, I’ve been trying my hand at unfamiliar dishes–dishes that I typically only encounter at restaurants–at home. Novel idea, right? Why haven’t I tried this more often?!? I’ve been focusing on the more traditional foods (not the more recent, Westernized foods) that are staples in different countries. My focus this time around was on Indian food. Indian food commonly includes grains, legumes, veggies, and spices.  Dal (also spelled dahl or daal) is a traditional Indian stew prepared from dried split lentils, peas, or beans. It’s a pretty basic dish that can be adapted to accommodate nearly any preferences. And for those who consume little to no meat, daal provides a comparable protein content to meat. It’s also a great source of fiber, iron, and potassium–all with virtually no fat! Amazing, right?!
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