First came the onions. I peeled, sliced and fried them all morning long--mounds of onions filling three large aluminum stockpots. I sprinkled in some spices--sparsely--and stirred. Then I took three ...

Ginger, turmeric, and curry leaves give this simple dish complex flavors. The name "dal" comes from the Sanskrit word that means “to split,” and has come to be used for dried legumes — peas, lentils, ...