Ingredients

· 5 cups water

· 1 cup urad daal (split black gram)

· ½ tsp turmeric

· Salt

For tempering:

· 1 tbsp butter

· 1 tsp cumin seeds

· ½ tsp ginger

· 1 tsp garlic

· 2 green chillies, slit

· 1 small onion, minced

· 1 small tomato, chopped

· ¼ cup tomato puree

· 2 tsp dhabba tadka mix powder

· Juice of one lemon

· 1 tbsp cumin

· 1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds

· 1 tsp fennel seeds

· 1 tsp whole cloves

· ½ inch cinnamon stick

· ½ tsp Red chilli powder

· ¼ tsp ground mace

· 1 tsp turmeric powder

· Salt to taste

Method

Cook the daal with salt and turmeric in it. To make the dhaaba tadka mix, dry roast the whole spices (cumin, coriander seeds, saunf, cloves and cinnamon) on a pan.

Add the turmeric powder, chilli, mace powder and roast some more. Add the salt. Make a fine powder of the spices. You can store this powder for later. Next in a deep pan, take a tablespoon of white butter; fry the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. Then add the onions till they turn translucent. Pour in the cooked daal, add salt, green chillies and the chopped tomatoes. After one minute, add the tomato puree, and the dhaaba tadka mix. Top it up with lime juice, serve.