Toor dal (arhar dal)

Toor dal is the everyday dal of Indian homes, and the plain pot is the one to get right first: dal, water, turmeric, salt and a tadka. This is that pot, cooked so the dal is soft enough to pour but not mushy enough to lose its grain, with the water ratio and whistle count that hold it there. The same dal under its other name makes this an arhar dal recipe, and the steps are the answer to how to make it.

The numbers do the work. Three cups of water to one cup of dal cooks to a pouring body after three whistles and five low minutes; a fourth whistle and the dal collapses to paste, which some homes prefer for a creamier pot. The dal is whisked before the tadka meets it, so the tempering flavours the whole pot rather than sitting on top.

The tadka is what makes a plain dal taste richer: cumin, garlic, dry red chilli and ginger fried in ghee until golden, with kasuri methi crushed in at the end. For a no-onion, no-garlic version, skip the garlic and double the hing; the pot is then ready for any table. The toor dal guide explains the dal, and the toor dal recipes roundup holds the flavoured versions.