The dal that anchors a thousand Indian dinners. Yellow split peas slow-cooked into silky comfort with shallots, ginger, garlic, green chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder, then finished with a hot tadka (the ghee-based tempering that releases the spices in a final aromatic hit at the end).

Tadka dal is the everyday North Indian household dal, distinct from the buttery, slow-cooked dal makhani of restaurant menus. Yellow split peas (toor dal or chana dal) cook in about an hour into a soft, golden, mildly textured stew. The cooking is patient but undemanding; the dal sits on the back of the stove and minds itself.

The tadka is the technique that separates a great dal from a flat one. Heat ghee in a small frying pan, drop in cumin seeds until they bloom and pop, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, a slit green chilli, a clove of crushed garlic. The fat takes on all the aromatics in seconds; pour the whole pan over the cooked dal at the table, letting it crackle as it hits the surface.

Serve with steamed basmati and a soft chapati for tearing. A spoon of plain yoghurt on the side cools the heat; a small dish of lime pickle adds salt and tang. The household dinner that travels the entire subcontinent.