A dhal is a thing of beauty. The South Asian dish is deeply satisfying and nourishing thanks to the creamy texture of slowly simmered lentils, and the essential tempering of spices that gives colour, fragrance and flavour. Dhal can be eaten at any time of the day as part of a meal, or on its own with flatbread or rice. Don’t limit yourself to dhal made from the more commonly found masoor dhal (red lentils) – try your hand at mung dhal, yellow split peas or split chickpeas too.