Dal Tadka

Rinse Toor dal and Chana dal in a bowl of cold water, rubbing the grains between your fingers, until the water runs clear. Drain well. Chop Tomatoes, grate Ginger, slit Green chillies once lengthways and pick the leaves off Coriander; chop them roughly.

⚠ Tip: Keep the coriander stems but leave them out of the dal — they go bitter over a long simmer.

Put the drained dal in a pot with ½ tsp Ground turmeric, 1½ tsp Salt and 900 ml Water. Bring to a hard boil, skim the grey foam off the top, then lower to a steady simmer until the dal is completely soft and breaks when pressed, about 30 min in a pot or 10 min in a pressure cooker.

⚠ Tip: If the water level drops below the dal, top it up with boiling water — cold water stops the grains cooking.

Add the tomato, ginger and green chilli and simmer until the tomato collapses, about 8 min, then whisk the pot hard or press with the back of a ladle. You want a loose, slightly coarse dal that pours off the spoon but still has body. Slice Garlic thin lengthways and break up Dried chillies, shaking the loose seeds into the bin.

⚠ Tip: Lumpy dal means a stingy whisk. Break up every grain now; the texture won't fix itself later.

Heat 3 tbsp Ghee in a small heavy pan over medium heat until it shimmers and smells nutty. Drop in 1 tsp Cumin seeds — it should crackle and pop, not spit or darken instantly. Carry on until the cumin smells roasted, about 30 sec, then add the garlic, dried chillies and ¼ tsp Asafoetida and stir until the garlic slivers turn pale gold at the edges, about 45 sec. Count to three, kill the heat and take the pan off the burner. Stir in 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder — it will sizzle up in the hot ghee and go dark red with a smoky, faintly roasted smell. Do not put it back over the flame.

⚠ Tip: If the cumin turns black in the first seconds, the ghee was too hot. Pull the pan off, let it cool slightly, start again — burnt cumin has nothing to save it.

⚠ Tip: No digits on the clock here: chilli powder in hot ghee is seconds from bitter. Off the heat, the oil finishes the job for you.

Give the dal one last stir, check the salt, then pour the whole tadka — ghee and all — over the top just before it goes to the table. Don't stir it in; let each person see the slick of red oil and spoon it together. Scatter over the chopped coriander and squeeze in the lemon juice, if using. Serve the dal hot, in a shallow dish, so the tadka stays on top and the smell hits before the first bite.

⚠ Tip: A dal cools fast in a deep pot. If you're waiting on the rest of the meal, keep it covered off the heat and re-temper just before serving.