Tadka Dal - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 inches piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 cups red lentils (masoor dal)
salt
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
2 thai green chilies, stemmed and sliced (remove seeds if desired)

Preparation

In a blender, process ginger and garlic with 1/4 cup water until smooth.
In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until well-browned, about 20 minutes.
Add ginger-garlic puree, cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric. Cook until nearly dry, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils and 4 cups water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and sliced chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard seeds pop, about 2 minutes.
Serve bowls of the lentils with the spiced ghee on top.