Empress Dal - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 whole dried red chilies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 small garlic cloves, minced or 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 cup dried lentils, picked over, washed and drained
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon amchur (dried mango powder) or 1 lemon, juice of
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Preparation

Combine the oil, cumin, red chiles and turmeric in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garlic or asafetida, lentils, cayenne, and mango powder, if using, (if using lemon juice instead, stir in at the end), and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add the water and salt, bring to a boil and skim well.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered , until the lentils are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
Add more water during cooking if necessary. Taste for salt and add more if you need to.
Ladle about 1/2 cup of the lentils into a small bowl and mash them with a spoon.
Return the mashed lentils to the pot and give the dal a stir. Then continue cooking at a simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes to thicken.
If you like a thicker dal, use a whisk to break up the lentils into a puree. If you like a thinner dal, add more water. Stir in the lemon juice, if using. Serve hot.