Arhar dal tadka

You'll need

• 1 cup toor dal (arhar), rinsed
• ½ tsp turmeric, salt to taste, 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of hing
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced, 1 dried red chilli
• 1 tomato, chopped, coriander to finish

Method

1. Pressure cook the dal with turmeric, salt and water until soft and mushy, then whisk smooth.
2. Warm the ghee, crackle the cumin seeds and hing, then the garlic and dried chilli until the garlic turns golden.
3. Add the tomato, cook until soft, then pour the whole tempering over the dal.
4. Simmer 5 minutes, loosening with hot water if it has thickened. Finish with coriander.

Why this dish

Toor dal is the one lentil eaten almost daily across most of India specifically because it sits easily once cooked soft and finished with a proper tempering, rather than left thin and raw-tasting.