Step 1

Rinse the sabut urad in a strainer and let all water drain out.

Step 2

Heat a sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the washed urad to the pan and roast it until it is aromatic, about five minutes. Remove the urad to a plate or bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Place the urad in a blender and blend into a coarse powder - it shouldn't be a flour, but you shouldn't have any large pieces or whole beans either.

Step 3

Heat oil in the same pan over high heat. If using mustard oil, wait until the oil starts to smoke. Add mustard seeds and when they sputter, add the asafetida and the onions along with a bit of salt. Sauté the onions until they begin to turn color.

Step 4

Lower heat to medium and add the ginger garlic paste, ground black pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne. Mix and stir for about a minute to toast the spices lightly.

Step 5

Add the rice flour to the pan and mix it in.

Step 6

Stir in the powdered urad and sauté for a couple of minutes. Begin trickling in the water, a little at a time, mixing all the time so lumps don't form. After you've added a cup of water you should have a thick paste. Continue adding water, a cup at a time, until you've added a total of five cups of water. This might seem like a lot but the dal will absorb the water and thicken quite a bit as it cooks.

Step 7

Bring the dal to a boil, then turn heat to a simmer, cover the pan and let the lentils cook, 30-40 minutes or until they are soft and quite thick. Stir the dal frequently because the lentils have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the pan, especially before they have cooked.

Step 8

Once the dal has cooked and is quite tender and creamy, add salt to taste. Chaunsa dal is not meant to be tangy but if you want a bit of tang you can squeeze in some lemon juice at this point. Garnish with cilantro and serve the dal hot.