Dinner plans: Dal tadka with Shan masala and dill

Every time I went to my aunt’s house for lunch, I'd plead with her for her dal recipe. On one such occasion, I went back home, substituted dill for the coriander hat I saw swimming in her dal, but it didn't quite match up. One day, she finally relented and shared the secret to her recipe — Shan Dal Masala— a Pakistani spice mix that's made with all the familiar spices, and packs quite a punch. Best of all this masala is available at grocery stores. In Mumbai, the whole line of spices is available at Crawford Market.Dal tadka with dill recipe[caption id="attachment_36308" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Dal. Andrea_Nguyen from Flickr."][/caption]Ingredients:4 tbsp ghee1 large onion, chopped1 tbsp Shan masala4-5 cloves of garlic, minced200g tur dal, soaked for a few hours3-4 green chillies1 tomato, peeled and chopped½ bunch dill leaves6-8 curry leavesMethod:•In a pan, heat two tablespoons of the ghee and fry the onions for a minute, until translucent. Stir in the Shan masala and add the garlic.•Add the dal, tomato, dill leaves, tomato and green chillies and 4 cups of water. Boil over a low flame for 20-30 minutes or use a pressure cooker to speed up the process.•Once the dal is cooked, get the tempering ready.•Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and fry the curry leaves for about a minute. Pour it over the dal and continue to cook for a few minutes.Shaheen writes about her quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and baking escapades on The Purple Foodie.