This is a great vegetarian curry; it is flavoursome and filling as the main ingredient is the lentils.  This is such a simple curry to make and tastes amazing.

The tadka is the spiced fat topping to the dish; it is a good way to add extra flavour to the dish without over cooking. It is poured over the dal at the end.

I love to mop this dish up with parathas or naan bread.

• Dal:
• 250g chana dal (yellow split pea lentils)
• Approx. 500g water
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• Sauce:
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2” chunk of ginger skin removed
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 whole red or green chilli
• ½ tbsp. coriander powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• fresh coriander
• Tadka:
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 or 2 red chillies

• Boil the lentils in the water with the salt and the turmeric.  Keep an eye on this, you may need to keep adding more hot water, it should take around 1 hour to cook.  What we are looking for is a soft lentil that squashes easily with your fingers, and a thick liquid.
• Curry sauce;
• Heat the ghee in a pan, add the whole chilli and cumin seeds and the bay leaves, cook for a minute.
• Add the onion and cook until soft.
• In a hand blender blitz up the tomatoes with the garlic and ginger to create a paste.
• Add this mixture to the pan with the onions and stir well.
• Add the coriander powder and let this bubble away for 10 minutes.
• Check on your lentils, if they are soft then you can add these to the curry sauce along with the liquid. Mix well and then add the garam masala, and a handful of chopped fresh coriander.  Mix well.
• Tadka;
• Heat the ghee in a saucepan, add the chilli and cook for a couple of minutes then add the cumin seeds, cook for another couple of minutes then pour straight over the dal curry.
• Serve up with your favourite breads.