Refined oil
100g of masoor dal (split red lentils)
1.5 tsps of Asafoetida (Hing)
1 small sized onion finely chopped
1 small sized tomato finely chopped
Turmeric powder
1.5 tsps of cumin seeds
5g of finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies chopped
1.5 tsps of salt
1 bunch of spinach leaves finely chopped.
Process:
1. Take 100g of masoor dal, wash well, drain the water and keep aside. Now place the dal in a pot of boiling water (~500ml) to cook. While I prefer to cook the dal in this manner, some may want to use a pressure cooker to do the same. If you use a pressure cooker, add 500ml of water to the cooker along with the dal and cook till you hear the first whistle - turn off the heat and let the pressure release on its own. Tip on how to know if the dal is cooked or not: The lentils are tender and are broken by the end of the cooking process. Additionally, one can also whisk the boiled dal with a beater so as to make a creamy and smooth mixture.
2. Take a frying pan, add 2tbsp of oil. Once the oil heats up, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida and wait till they splutter. Then add in the chopped onions, ginger and green chillies and fry for about 5-6 minutes till the onions become soft.
3. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and saute till they become soft and mushy. Then add in 1.5 tsps of turmeric powder and fry till the raw smell of turmeric is no longer there.
4. Add in the cooked dal and 1.5 tsps of salt and boil for about 5 minutes.
5. Finally, ddd in the chopped spinach and cook for another 3-4 minutes till the spinach leaves become soft.
6. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.