And the best stew in the world is...

Dal, the Indian staple loved by many, topped the list of the world's best veg stews released by the popular food and travel guide Taste Atlas.

Dal

Dal, with its major ingredient being black or yellow lentils, is an ideal food for the working class as it provides ample energy for a full day of labour.

Prepared with a tamarind-based broth, lentils, and vegetables, sambar is the second-best stew. Sambar is served with steamed rice or various Indian flatbreads.

Sambar 

Interestingly, Sambar is a dish born out of a mistake when Maratha ruler Shivaji’s son named Sambhaji added tamarind in the dal in the absence of royal chefs.

The national dish of Ethiopia, wat is a stew made with berbere, a spice blend usually consisting of very hot chili peppers, garlic, ginger, rue, basil, ajwain, nigella, and fenugreek.

Wat

Nothing is wasted in preparing wat, every available piece of meat, from fine cuts to organs, fresh or dried, is used in the wats.

Főzelék is a hearty vegetable stew with its roots in Hungary. It is typically made with peas, spinach, lentils, potatoes, or cabbage as the primary ingredients.

Főzelék

The thickening agent in főzelék may include a combination of onions, butter or lard, and flour, milk, or sour cream.

Lenticchie in umido is a classic Italian dish featuring lentils as the main ingredient. Cooked with sautéed onions in olive oil, garlic, and mint, the lentils absorb the flavours as they simmer in water.

Lenticchie in umido

Seasoned with salt and pepper, it can be served warm or cold.

Palak Dal is a traditional North Indian vegetarian dish made with lentils, spinach, tomatoes, ghee, cumin seeds, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, and lemon juice or amchur.

Palak Dal

Palak Dal is commonly served with rice or roti and loved by people of all ages.