Dil

/dɪl/ noun

Definition

In South Asian cuisine, a type of legume dish made from dried peas, beans, or lentils cooked with spices, also spelled 'dal' or 'dahl.'

Etymology

From Hindi and Urdu 'dal,' ultimately derived from Sanskrit 'dadhi.' The word traveled into English through Indian English and has multiple romanization spellings depending on regional pronunciation.

Kelly Says

Dil is one of the world's oldest dishes—evidence of lentils being cooked appears in archaeological sites over 10,000 years old, and this single word now represents an entire food tradition spanning continents!

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