Bengal Lentils

1 1/2 cup red lentils
3 1/2 cup water
6 serrano chilies (or 3 jalepeno?); either whole or sliced in
1/4 teaspoon turmeric; or more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon ghee; butter or vegetable oil
1 cup minced onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon panch phanon mix
4 dried small red chilies (up to)
3 cloves garlic


There are three basic steps to this recipe: cooking the lentils
in water, making a tomato/onion/ginger mush, and making a spiced
oil.

1. Rinse lentils well, add water, serrano chilies, turmeric and
salt. Bring carefully to boil and cook over low to medium
heat, partially covered, for 25 minutes. Cover and cook
another 10 minutes. Adjust salt.

2. While lentils are cooking, cook onions in a frying pan in the
oil until they are golden brown (approximately 10 minutes),
stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and ginger and continue
cooking until the tomatoes decompose into a delicious and
fragrant mush (approximately 8 minutes.) Stir constantly so
that tomato mixture doesn't stick. Turn heat to low if
necessary.

3. Scrape out this mush into the lentils and stir it in. Let
lentils sit while you make the spiced oil.

4. Do a quick rinse of the frying pan, without soap, and dry
thoroughly. Add the remaining 2T oil and heat over medium
high heat. When oil is hot add panch phanon mix and heat
until the seeds begin to pop, about 15 seconds. Add red
chilies and fry for another 15 seconds, until they turn a
little darker. Turn off heat and add the crushed garlic and
let sizzle for about 30 seconds. Stir this mixture into the
lentil/tomato mixture and serve with rice. Adjust salt.

NOTE: Using ghee changes the taste compared with oil.
I prefer it for step 4. It tastes good either way though.