Recipes · Indian · Main Courses
Varan Bhaat (Maharashtrian Toor Dal with Rice, Ghee and Lemon)
One serving has 561 kcal and 16 g protein, and at least a fifth of a woman's daily need of folate (104%), manganese (103%), copper (73%), thiamin (72%), magnesium (40%) and niacin (40%). Ready in 55 minutes.
- Preparation: 15 min
- Cooking: 40 min
- Makes: 1 serving (531 g)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Diets: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
- Contains: dairy
Ingredients
- 50 g Toor dal
- 380 g Water (for the dal and the rice)
- 0.4 g Turmeric
- 0.1 g Asafoetida (hing)
- 3 g Jaggery
- 1 g Salt
- 80 g Rice, white (ambemohar or another fragrant rice)
- 10 g Ghee
- 6 g Lemon juice
Method
- Rinse the toor dal in 3-4 changes of water until it runs almost clear, then leave it to soak for 15 minutes.
- Cook the dal with 230 ml water, the turmeric and the asafoetida until completely soft: 3 whistles in a pressure cooker (about 12 minutes), or 35-40 minutes in a covered pot, adding hot water as needed.
- Meanwhile rinse the rice and cook it with 150 ml water: bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then leave it covered for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cooked dal to a smooth purée, add the salt and jaggery and simmer for 3-4 minutes, adding hot water until it is like thick cream and pours from a spoon.
- Mound the hot rice on a plate, make a well in it, pour in the varan and top with the ghee. Squeeze the lemon over and mix it at the table. Varan bhaat opens a Maharashtrian festive meal and is offered to Ganesh at Ganesh Chaturthi.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving | Share of a day's need |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 561 kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 98.6 g | |
| Water | 401 mL | |
| Fiber | 8.7 g | 30% |
| Protein | 16.3 g | 34% |
| Tryptophan | 0.17 g | |
| Threonine | 0.57 g | |
| Isoleucine | 0.62 g | |
| Leucine | 1.2 g | |
| Lysine | 0.95 g | |
| Methionine | 0.25 g | |
| Cystine | 0.23 g | |
| Phenylalanine | 1.2 g | |
| Tyrosine | 0.45 g | |
| Valine | 0.79 g | |
| Histidine | 0.51 g | |
| Fat | 11.2 g | |
| Monounsaturated | 3 g | |
| Polyunsaturated | 0.9 g | |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) | 0 g | |
| Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) | 0 g | |
| Omega-6 | 0.72 g | |
| Saturated | 6.5 g | |
| Trans-Fats | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 25.6 mg | |
| Calcium | 87.8 mg | 9% |
| Copper | 0.66 mg | 73% |
| Iron | 6.4 mg | 35% |
| Magnesium | 125 mg | 40% |
| Manganese | 1.9 mg | 103% |
| Phosphorus | 272 mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 785 mg | 17% |
| Selenium | 16.3 µg | 30% |
| Sodium | 413 mg | |
| Zinc | 2.4 mg | 30% |
| Thiamin (vitamin B1) | 0.79 mg | 72% |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.13 mg | 12% |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 5.6 mg | 40% |
| Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 1.7 mg | 34% |
| Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | 0.26 mg | 20% |
| Folate (vitamin B9) | 414 µg | 104% |
| Cobalamin (vitamin B12) | 0 µg | 0% |
| Choline | 2.9 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 84.5 µg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 2.3 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0 IU | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.4 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 0.91 µg | 1% |
Shares of a day's need are for a woman of 30, 165 cm, 60 kg, lightly active, by the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes. SustainBite works out each person's own needs, by the standard where they live: the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in Norway, the UK's, EFSA's in the EU.
Climate footprint
0.3 kg CO2e a serving: lower than most main dishes on SustainBite. Source: ADEME, Agribalyse 3.2.
Plan weeks of recipes like this on SustainBite: meals that meet each person's vitamin and mineral needs, for a family too, with one grocery list. Free.