Yellow Dal

🥘 Ingredients

• toor dal 1 cup
• turmeric ½ tsp
• oil 1 tbsp
• black mustard seeds 1 tsp
• cumin seeds 1 tsp
• ?asafetida ¼ tsp
• cilantro 2 tbsp
• ?curry leaves 2 sprigs
• green chili peppers 1-2
• tomatoes 2 medium
• lemon juice ½ lemon
• salt to taste

Cook lentils

1. 1

   Place the toor dal with turmeric and water in a pot , pressure cooker or Instant Pot liner .
2. 2

   Cook the dal until very creamy. Use a whisk to lightly beat the dal until it's creamy.

Make the tempering or "tadka"

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a wide saucepan , Dutch oven or karahi , then add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds and ?asafetida , if using.
2. 2

   As soon as the mustard seeds sputter, add the cilantro and ?curry leaves and the green chili peppers .
3. 3

   Sauté the cilantro and curry leaves for 1 minute , then stir in the tomatoes . Cook the tomatoes until they have expressed most of their juices and are very soft.

Add the lentils

1. 1

   Add the cooked dal to the saucepan and mix well. Add water to thin out the lentils - I add about a cup. Bring the dal to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes . This gives the flavors a chance to meld.
2. 2

   Turn off the heat, then add in the lemon juice and salt and garnish with more cilantro before serving.