• Sort and clean any grit in the dal. Rinse well. A friend, Lilani who is a fantastic gourmet chef, suggested washing and rinsing through a strainer so that any little bits of grit get washed away. But make sure you sort through the dal so you don't have any tiny stones that can crack someone's tooth!
• Ina deep saucepan or cooking pot, add the dal, chopped garlic, fresh chopped ginger, whole Serrano chili or a whole dried red chili, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
• Add water and boil until it resembles a thick soup.
• Stir every 15 minutes. Initially, the scum(froth) will rise to the top, you can remove it with a spoon. Half cover the pot with a lid so that some steam escapes and the dal water does not overflow.
• Cooking time will vary from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the size and type of lentil.
• Set aside and use any of the following ways to temper the dals.

Basic Tadka / Tempering for All Lentils

• Heat oil in a small pan.
• Add onions and sauté them until half browned. About 4-6 minutes.
• Add tomatoes (if you like). Once they start to soften and curl, in about 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and add the spice powders. Stir a minute or two and pour over the cooked dal.
• Stir the dal and let the spices cook for another 3- 5 minutes to absorb the flavors of the tadka. Turn off the heat and let the dal rest for 5 minutes.
• Pour the dal into a deep dish and garnish with chopped green Cilantro.
• Serve with cooked white rice and a vegetable or a spicy meat dish and pickle.
• The lentils are poured over the rice. If you are eating it with roti, flatbreads or bread, then pour the lentils into individual cup-sized dishes for easy dipping or the use of a spoon.