ANOTHER KIND

Ingredients

• 0.5 ounce black pepper, whole (Half an ounce; whole peppercorns work best for frying and grinding)
• 0.5 ounce red lentils (dholl / masoor dal) (Same quantity as the pepper; red pulse or dholl)
• 1 tablespoon ghee (Used for frying the pepper and lentils, and separately for frying the whole spices)
• 3 cups water (Used to thin the ground paste into a broth)
• 0.5 teaspoon salt (A little salt, to taste)
• 1 lime lime juice (Juice of one lime, freshly squeezed)
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds (Whole seeds, to be fried separately before adding)
• 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds (Whole seeds, to be fried separately before adding)
• 0.25 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (Whole seeds, to be fried separately before adding; slightly bitter so use sparingly)
• 3 sprigs curry leaves (carapala leaves) (Two or three bunches; carapala leaves are curry leaves — fresh preferred)
• 1 small piece moringa fruit (drumstick), cut into pieces (Optional, for added fragrance; cut into 2–3 inch pieces)
• 1 piece wood apple shells (Optional alternative to moringa for fragrance; use only the outer shell)
• 0.25 teaspoon coriander (seeds or powder) (A small quantity only; described as necessary in every pepper water)

Instructions

1. 1Place a small frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and allow it to melt and heat until shimmering. Add the half ounce of whole black pepper and the half ounce of red lentils (dholl). Stir continuously and fry until the lentils turn golden and the pepper is fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Be careful not to burn them — reduce the heat if the pan gets too hot. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. 2Once the fried pepper and lentils have cooled enough to handle safely (about 5 minutes), transfer them to a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or small blender. Grind to a coarse or semi-fine paste or powder. Add the ground mixture to a medium saucepan and pour in 3 cups of water. Stir well to fully dissolve and combine the ground mixture into the water.
3. 3To the saucepan with the pepper and lentil water, add half a teaspoon of salt and the freshly squeezed juice of one lime. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed, keeping in mind more flavour will develop as it boils.
4. 4Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and allow it to simmer actively. Keep the pot on the heat as you will be adding further ingredients during this boiling stage.
5. 5While the pepper water is boiling, heat a small separate pan over medium heat with a little ghee (use the same pan from step 1 if available). Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds. Fry, stirring constantly, until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the cumin smells fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Take care as mustard seeds can jump from the pan — use a lid to partially cover if needed. Immediately pour the fried seeds into the boiling pepper water and stir to combine.
6. 6While the broth is still boiling, throw in two or three sprigs (bunches) of fresh curry leaves (carapala leaves). They will sizzle and release their aroma immediately. Stir them into the broth and allow the pepper water to continue simmering for a further 2–3 minutes.
7. 7If you wish to add extra fragrance to the pepper water, add either a few pieces of moringa fruit (drumstick), cut into 2–3 inch lengths, or a small piece of wood apple shell. Drop them into the simmering broth. Allow to simmer for a further 3–4 minutes so they can release their aroma. If you are not using either of these optional ingredients, simply skip this step and proceed.
8. 8Stir in a small quantity (about one quarter teaspoon) of coriander — either ground coriander powder or lightly crushed coriander seeds. This is described as necessary in every pepper water prepared in the Canarese style. Stir well, allow the broth to simmer for one final minute, then remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot as a broth or alongside rice.