Pink tuur daal

from Piali's mom
Ingredients:

• 1 cup daal
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon Indian cumin
• quarter teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder, or half a cup of finely chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Wash the daal a couple of times, rubbing it well. Soak for up to an hour (cooks faster!). Bring to a boil in 4 cups of water in a medium size pot on low heat for about 15 minutes. Add turmeric and very finely choppped tomatoes, and continue to simmer until very tender and tomatoes have disintegrated. Keep simmering on low heat.

In a frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds, lower heat to avid burning the garlic and add the garlic and ginger. Stir well, add a bit of the daal, covering the pan immediately to prevent the aromas from escaping. Immediately transfer the mix to the rest of the daal. Rinse the pan with a bit of water, and add that to the daal too.

Add salt and pepper (check the heat!) and garnish with cilantro, only if good and fresh leaves are available. If not, just add the corriander powder instead, and bring to one more final boil. Serve with rice?

I have substituted garlic for the asafoetida and curry leaves, which I use. Those are very ethnic, very hard to find, and need cultivated taste! I have also substituted black pepper for dry red chilli, since the "heat" is moderate. Also, the ginger adds to the heat. [I made this and it's tasty! I added green chili peppers, cayenne and a little lemon juice. --Aram]