Dal fry - inspired by the tiffin centres of Mumbai

Lentil is such a stable recipe on the dining table of an East Indian. We had a nice bowl of dal everyday with rice and whatever seasonal side dishes were most suitable for that day. While I haven't retained the tradition to make a zillion side dishes everyday, I have in parts retained the necessity to make a good bowl of dal every so often during the week. The recipe that I enjoy the most is the one served in the restaurants of Mumbai. Dal fry is all about the tempering - it has garlic, ghee, fragrant seeds, and the essential bit of chilli. I refrain from chillies everyday, but why not add some to make a hearty bowl to beat the Monday blues?!

Enjoy!

Serves: 3

Time to prepare: 5 minutes

Time to cook: 30 minutes  (or less)

Ingredients

1. 1 cup red lentil
2. 4 cups of water
3. 1 red onion finely chopped
4. 1 tomato finely chopped
5. 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
6. 2 tbsp cumin powder 
7. 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder/hot paprika 
8. 1 tsp turmeric
9. 3 tbsp ghee (oil would also work)
10. Coriander to garnish
11. Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the red lentils thoroughly and set to boil along with 4 cups of water for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid dal sticking to the bottom, or flowing over!
2. Once the dal is almost done, heat some ghee in a second pan and add the cumin seeds, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn brown.
3. Once the onions are done, add the tomatoes, all the spices (chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric), and salt. Allow the tomatoes to cook for a few minutes. 
4. Add the tomato tempering into the pot of cooked lentil and mix thoroughly. Add an additional cup of water to the lentil pot and cook for a few minutes. 
5. Voila!