Serves: 4
Total Calories: 170

1 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water
6 cups water
4 pieces dried kokum halves, washed
2 tablespoons ground jaggery
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
6 to 8 quarter-sized sliced peeled fresh ginger
10 to 15 fresh curry leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 stick cinnamon (1-inch)
4 whole cloves
5 to 7 whole dried red chili peppers, such as chile de arbol
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1. Place the dal with 3 cups water in a large saucepan (not nonstick) and boil over high heat about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the dal is very soft and broken, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then with an electric handheld mixer, beat it on medium speed to make a smooth puree, about 1 minute. Mix in the remaining 3 cups water, kokum, jaggery, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, half the asafoetida, and salt.

2. In a food processor, process together the tomatoes, green chili peppers, ginger, and curry leaves to make a smooth puree, about 30 seconds, and add it to the dal.

3. Boil the soupy dal over high heat about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer the dal about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, cover, and keep warm.

4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cloves, and red chili peppers about 30 seconds. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lover the heat and cover the pan until spluttering subsides. Transfer to the dal and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 170
Calories from Fat: 63

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Dried Beans, Lentils, and Peas
Basic South Indian Soupy Split Pigeon Peas
Black Beans in Traditional Curry Sauce
Black Chickpeas with Chickpea Masala
Black Chickpeas with Sizzlilng Ginger and Cumin Seeds
Black Urad Beans in a Slow Cooker
Black-Eyed Peas in Yogurt Curry
Canister Chickpeas (or Dried Yellow Peas)
Chickpeas in Traditional Curry Sauce
Chickpeas with Ginger, Garlic, and Chaat Masala
Chickpeas with Spinach and Potato Wedges
Chutney Chickpeas with Tamarind
Classic Kidney Bean Curry with Onions
Classic No-Onion Kidney Bean Curry
Crispy Split Pigeon Pea Cake
Curried Black-Eyed Peas
Dry-Cooked Green Split Peas
Dry-Cooked Red Lentils with Cumin Seeds
Falguni's Gujarati Split Pigeon Peas
Fresh Green Chickpeas with Lentil Nuggets
Garlicky Dried Green Peas Curry
Garlicky Yellow Mung Beans with Zucchini Wheels
Green Lentils with Sautéed Onion
Gujarati Green Mung Beans with Green Masala Paste
Hazram's Soupy Pigeon Peas
Kashmiri Fennel-Flavored Black Urad Beans with Yogurt
Kashmiri Small Red Beans
Madras-Style Pigeon Peas with Vegetables
Mustard-Roasted Adzuki Beans
Parsi Mixed Lentils, Beans, and Vegatables
Pickle-Flavored Chickpeas
Punjabi Black Urad Beans
Punjabi Dry-Cooked Yellow Mung Beans
Punjabi Green Mung Beans with Sizzling Ginger
Punjabi Red Beans with Mango Pickle Masala
Punjabi-Style Split Pigeon Peas
Rajasthani Mixed 5 Beans and Lentils
Red Lentils with Bengali 5-Spices
Roasted Green Lentils with Tomatoes
Roasted Yellow Mung Beans and Potatoes
Sindhi Dry-Cooked Yellow Mung Beans
Small White Beans with Indian Spices
Smoked Black Urad Beans
Soupy Split Pigeon Peas with Jaggery
Spicy Adzuki Beans
Spicy Chickpeas with Pomegranate Seeds
Spicy Dried Yellow Peas
Spicy Dry-Cooked Split Green Mung Beans
Spicy Mixed 5 Beans and Lentils
Spicy Soybeans in Yogurt Sauce
Spicy Split Black Urad Beans with Split Chickpeas
Spit Pigeon Peas with Coconut and Vegetables
Split Urad Beans and Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach
Stir-Fried Black Urad Beans
White Urad Beans with Fresh Lemon Juice
White Urad Beans with Roasted Fenugreek Leaves
Yellow Mung Beans with Fresh Curry Leaves
Yellow Mung Beans with Sautéed Onion and Ginger
Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach
Yellow Split Chikpeas with Opo Squash