An everyday dal to be served with rice, vegetables, and curries. (In Bangladesh, the curry would often be made with fish.)

　　

Ingredients

serves 4¿5

　　1 cup red lentils (skinless masoor dal), washed and drained

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 medium onion, half finely chopped and half cut into fine half rings

　　3/4–1 teaspoon salt

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil or ghee

　　2 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices

　　2–3 dried hot red chilies, each broken in half

　　

Step 1

Put the red lentils, 3 1/2 cups water, turmeric, and the chopped onions into a medium pan. Bring to a boil. Cover partially, turn heat to low, and cook 45 minutes or until the lentils are very tender. Add the salt and mix in.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a small frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, put in the sliced onions and stir a few times. Add the garlic and chilies. Stir and fry until the onions and garlic have turned a rich golden-red color. Pour the contents of the frying pan into the pot with the dal. Stir to mix.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.