Restaurant-Style Dal Tadka

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1. 1Step 1: Sift through the lentils and remove any pebbles. Soak the lentils in cold water for 15 minutes and then drain them.
2. 2Step 2: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat (for nonstick pans, you can use 1 tbsp oil; for other pans, you’ll need a bit more). Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened and starting to turn golden brown on the edges. For extra flavor, cook until onions are nicely browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. 3Step 3: Add the garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper. Stir frequently for 60 to 90 seconds, or until garlic is lightly browned and the mixture is very fragrant. Add the curry powder, garam masala, coriander, and turmeric and stir to coat into the onions, stirring almost constantly for about 30 seconds. If things stick, add a splash of water to scrape up any browned bits.
4. 4Step 4: Pour in the water (I use about 2 cups / 480 mL at this stage) along with the soaked and drained lentils, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use ~ half for sea salt/table salt), and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. 5Step 5: Bring the dal to a boil. Then lower the heat and partially cover the pan with a lid (if your lid has a small hole on top to allow steam to escape, you can fully cover the pan). Simmer the dal for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are fully cooked through, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed to add adequate moisture/liquid to the dal. Depending on your lentil variety, the cook time might vary from 25 to 35 minutes.
6. 6Step 6: Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have broken down and have basically blended into the dal. If using fresh tomatoes, they'll need more time unless you’ve pureed them. If you want the dal to be thicker, run an immersion blender through some of the dal, but keep some lentils whole. It will also thicken more upon resting. Finally, stir in the chopped cilantro. Taste, adding more salt as needed.
7. 7Step 7: When the dal is done, make the tadka. Heat a tadka pan or your smallest saucepan (or skillet) over medium heat with the coconut oil. Wait until it’s very hot. To test whether it's hot enough, add one or two mustard seeds. If it sizzles immediately or nearly immediately, it's ready. Add the mustard seeds and swirl the pan frequently. Once they start popping, add the cumin seeds for a few seconds, or until just a few shades darker, continuing to swirl the pan. If using, add the asafoetida for a few seconds, followed by the curry leaves and dried chile peppers, if using. Keep stirring or swirling the pan to prevent burning, 15 to 30 more seconds, or until very aromatic and the curry leaves have shriveled a bit but not browned and the chili peppers and cumin seeds have turned darker but not burnt. Remove from the heat immediately and pour on top of the cooked dal.
8. 8Step 8: Taste the dal tadka for seasonings, adding more salt as desired. If desired, garnish with additional fresh cilantro. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread on the side and, if desired, dollop with yogurt and garnish with a few red onion slices.