a pinch of hing/asafoetida

One small red onion, diced

¼ cup ginger-garlic paste (really about a tablespoon of each and two tablespoons of water)

1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder)

1 14-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)

2 Tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 cinnamon leaf

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin seed

1 lb whole black urad dal

¼ lb red kidney beans

Wash urad dal and kidney beans, then brine overnight in 2 quarts of water with 3 tablespoons of kosher salt dissolved into it.”

Heat oil. Add pinch of hing and let bloom for 30 seconds.

Add a red onion and sauté until beginning to brown.

Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute or until just beginning to stick.

Add kashmiri chili, turmeric, coriander powder, amchur and bloom in the hot oil.

Add tomatoes, & cinnamon leaf, stirring well to prevent browning. If you have some tomato paste, add it now

Cook this all together until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. You’ll have around a pint and a half. You can chill this overnight in the fridge.

Drain and add beans to pressure cooker, covering with 2 inches of water. Add a big pinch of salt.

Pressure cook 90 minutes. When complete, let the pressure reduce naturally (though rapidly releasing won’t kill anything)

Remove lid, turn the cooker back on, and add the tomato mixture along with a fat teaspoon of garam masala and cumin seed. If you want to be motivated, you can bloom this in some hot ghee before adding.

Cook and stir till a thick, creamy consistency has been reached.