Viral: Foreigner Makes Uttarakhand's Chaunsa Dal, Impresses Internet With His Skills

There's nothing quite like the comfort and fulfillment of our own traditional food, the kind that evokes memories of home-cooked meals lovingly prepared by our mothers. A perfect example is a plate of expertly cooked lentils and rice - simple yet utterly satisfying. A recent internet sensation is a video of a foreigner making the traditional Uttarakhand Chaunsa Dal, or "Chainsoo". This is a distinctive dal, created using black gram dal (urad dal) that is coarsely ground and then cooked with various spices to impart an array of flavors. Chainsoo is typically paired with either rice or Indian bread, and its recipe could have regional variations. You might also like: US Man Experiences Butter Chicken And Naan For The First Time, Don’t Miss His Reactions

This foreigner's commendable demonstration of preparing the traditional dish is earning admiration. He starts off by roasting urad dal chilka and grinding it into a fine powder. Meanwhile, he makes a paste with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. He then proceeds to heat mustard oil in a wok, where he adds dried chilies, hing, and mustard seeds, followed by the spice paste made earlier. After thoroughly cooking them together, he then adds powdered urad dal, turmeric, and wheat flour, with a note to adjust the quantity of water as required. He sprinkles some salt and lets the dish simmer until the dal is cooked through. His post is captioned “#5 Chaunsa (Chainsoo)... My Top 5 from 2023.”

People all over the internet have appreciated this foreigner’s attempt at making our traditional Indian dish. Some comments have humorously suggested that “the guy is more Indian than actual Indians”, and have requested that he be given an Aadhar card. One commenter, proud of their Pahadi origins, expressed joy at the promotion of Pahadi cuisine. Others have described how "Chaunsa is also ideal to warm up on cold days, and can be enjoyed as a hot soup.” One commenter expressed their gratitude, stating that he had played a role in educating the world about Indian cuisine. Another commenter suggested that “Chainsoo, when paired with bhaat and Pahadi raita, is the optimal combo.”

Are you tempted to try this traditional dal from Uttarakhand? You can find one such recipe here .