MASUR DAL ( Alternative )

Ingredients

• 470 grams Masur dal (red lentils) (½ seer converted to approximately 470 g. Pick over for any debris before washing.)
• 60 grams Ghee (½ powa converted to approximately 60 g. Divided into two equal portions of about 30 g each.)
• 30 grams Plain curd (plain yogurt) (1 chhatak converted to approximately 30 g. Use full-fat plain yogurt at room temperature.)
• 12 millilitres Fresh ginger juice (1 tola converted to approximately 12 ml. Grate fresh ginger and squeeze through a fine cloth or sieve to extract the juice.)
• 6 grams Black pepper (½ tola converted to approximately 6 g. Use freshly ground or pre-ground black pepper powder.)
• 6 grams Cumin (½ tola converted to approximately 6 g. Use ground cumin powder.)
• 3 grams Turmeric (¼ tola converted to approximately 3 g. Use ground turmeric powder.)
• 4 leaves Cassia leaves (Indian bay leaves / tejpatta) (A few cassia leaves — approximately 3 to 5. These are Indian bay leaves (tejpatta), distinct from Mediterranean bay leaves.)
• 15 grams Salt (1¼ tola converted to approximately 15 g. Adjust to taste.)
• 3 grams Cardamom (Part of the ¼ tola (approximately 3 g total) shared with cinnamon and clove. Use ground cardamom powder, dividing the 3 g total equally between cardamom, cinnamon, and clove (approximately 1 g each).)
• 3 grams Cinnamon (Part of the ¼ tola (approximately 3 g total) shared with cardamom and clove. Use ground cinnamon powder, approximately 1 g.)
• 3 grams Clove (Part of the ¼ tola (approximately 3 g total) shared with cardamom and cinnamon. Use ground clove powder, approximately 1 g.)
• 1 pinch Panch-foron (Bengali five-spice blend) (A pinch, approximately ¼ teaspoon. Panch-foron is a whole-seed Bengali spice mix typically containing fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard, and fennel seeds — use a pre-made blend if available.)
• 940 millilitres Water (1 seer converted to approximately 940 ml. Heat it until hot before adding to the dal.)
• 4 chillies Green chillies (A few green chillies — approximately 3 to 5. Slit lengthwise before use.)

Instructions

1. 1Pick over the masur dal to remove any small stones or debris. Place the dal in a bowl, cover generously with cold water, and leave to soak for 20 minutes. After soaking, drain off all the water through a sieve and set the dal aside. While the dal soaks, measure out all your remaining ingredients so everything is ready before you start cooking.
2. 2Place a large, heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium heat. Add half of the ghee (approximately 30 g) and let it melt. Once the ghee is warm and shimmering, add the cassia leaves. Allow them to sizzle gently in the ghee for about 1 minute — you will notice a fragrant aroma releasing from the leaves. This infuses the ghee with flavour before the dal is added.
3. 3Once the ghee is sufficiently hot (it will shimmer and flow freely), add the drained masur dal to the pan. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon, keeping the dal moving so it does not stick or burn. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the lentils turn a light golden-brown colour. This will take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. The toasting step deepens the flavour of the final dish.
4. 4Carefully pour the hot water (940 ml, heated separately in a kettle or saucepan) into the pan with the toasted dal. Stand back slightly as you pour — hot ghee and water can splutter. Add the salt (15 g) and the powdered turmeric (3 g), and stir well to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the dal to cook, stirring occasionally.
5. 5Continue to cook the dal over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are completely soft and have dissolved into a smooth, thick liquid — this is what the recipe means by 'thoroughly melted'. This will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes. If the dal becomes too thick and begins to stick, add a small splash of hot water and stir. Once the dal is fully melted and creamy, add the plain curd (30 g), the fresh ginger juice (12 ml), the powdered black pepper (6 g), and the powdered cumin (6 g). Stir everything together well. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. 6Slit the green chillies lengthwise with a knife, cutting from tip to stem but leaving them in one piece. Place a separate small pan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining half of the ghee (approximately 30 g) and let it melt until hot and shimmering. Add the panch-foron (1 pinch) — the seeds will begin to splutter and pop immediately, so be careful. Add the slit green chillies and let them sizzle in the hot ghee for about 30 to 60 seconds until they soften slightly.
7. 7Once the ghee in the small pan is sufficiently hot and the panch-foron and chillies are sizzling, carefully pour the liquid dal from the large pan into the small pan with the tempering. Alternatively, pour the tempering over the dal if your small pan cannot hold all the liquid — either approach works. Stir to combine. Bring the dal back to a gentle boil and cook for a few more minutes (approximately 3 to 4 minutes), stirring occasionally.
8. 8Just before removing the dal from the heat, add the powdered cardamom, powdered cinnamon, and powdered clove (approximately 1 g of each, totalling about 3 g in all). Stir well to distribute the spices evenly throughout the dal. Remove the pan from the heat immediately after stirring. Place a lid on the pan and keep the dal covered for a few minutes before serving — this allows the warm spices to bloom in the residual heat and perfume the dish.