Dhal

I posted this recipe four years ago but I wanted to repost it because it is SO good and is such comfort food for me. My dad has been making it for us since we were kids and its so warm and protein rich from the lentils. I love making it on a cold winter night such as this one. You can find the hing in indian grocery stores but it is an acquired taste so you can omit it if you want. Another name for hing is asafoetida or "devil's dung" and it adds a nutty burnt sort of flavor to the dhal which I love.

1 & 1/2 cup red lentils
H2O
5 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 zucchinis
1 can of tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
8-10 peppercorns
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp dried red chilies
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
Few shakes of Hing (Asafoetida), found in indian grocery stores

Remove any stones from the lentils and rinse them. Put the lentils in a pot and cover them with water, about 2 inches above it. Add the cumin, salt, peppercorns, 3 cloves of mashed garlic, chopped zucchini, onion, and the tomato. Simmer until lentils are fully cooked and you can't see the individual lentils.
When this happens, heat oil in a pan on high and add the mustard seeds. Fry them and shake them around until they start popping then add two cloves of finely chopped garlic. When garlic is brownish, add two shakes of "hing". Then add this mixture to the pot. It will sizzle in a wonderful sort of way. You can even add some of the soupy mixture to the pan to make sure you got it all. Then simmer for a few more minutes, and eat with rice and lemon pickle.