This delicious dal curry may also be made with moong dal or an equal mixture of red lentils, masoor dal, and moong dal. Serve with rice and fish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4¿5

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

　　1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1 packed cup (1 3/4 ounces) chopped cilantro

　　1/2–3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　1/2 medium onion, chopped

　　10–15 fresh curry leaves (if available)

　　1 teaspoon very finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　1 good-sized clove garlic, crushed to a pulp

　　

Step 1

Put the dal and 3 cups water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil but do not let it boil over. Skim off the froth and add the turmeric. Stir, cover partially, turn heat to very low, and simmer gently for 40 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, cilantro, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir and turn off the heat.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a small pan or small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the onions and curry leaves. Stir and fry until the onions start to brown. Now put in the ginger and garlic. Stir for a minute and then empty the contents of the small pan into the pan 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.