To Fry Or not To Fry

I had to, I really had to, use that is, the most famous words to clear up a few doubts!
Well, the context here is in terms of the ever popular, most preferred dal of all times, at least in my dictionary, the 'Dal Fry'.
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Let me clear this once and for all. 'Dal Fry', I don't know where this term was coined. We never called any dal as 'Dal Fry' at my home or any home that I ever went to. But restaurant is a different story altogether. I envision this scenario, I go to a restaurant and the menu says - Dal & Roti, I just about manage not gagging on myself. Now next time, the menu says 'Dal Fry & Roti' and I gleefully order it. 'Lo and Behold', it is the name plastered on all restaurant menus.

Call it 'Tadkewali dal' (but all dals have some kind of tadka) or 'Pili dal', (but what if it is some other color dal?), what in the world does 'Dal Fry' mean?? anyone???
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After a lot of thoughtful pondering(!!!), I concluded that if you add the boiled dal in a 'tadka' of onion and tomato it gets the ubiquitous name 'DAL FRY'. If it is just a 'tadka' on top of the boiled dal, it is 'Tadka Dal'. But whether you fry it or not (notice how I cleared the confusion using the oft repeated famous words :-) ), this dal is lip-smacking good. This can made with just a single dal or as a combination of two or more dals, but the basic recipe remains the same.

The basic dal has a simple seasoning of ghee & jeera, the more flashy ones have a seasoning of onion, tomato and the like.

Anyway, forget the mambo-jumbo and enjoy the bowl full of protein, the dal. Dal is one of the best source of protein for vegetarians.
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1/2 cup Toor dal (or combination of split moong dal, masoor dal, toor dal)
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1 green chilli slit
3 cloves garlic grated
1" ginger grated

2tbsp ghee (calorie conscious please feel free to use oil)
1 tsp jeera
a pinch hing
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli pwd (use as per your spice level)
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, depending upon sourness of tomato)
2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Pressure cook the dal. I do not like to mash it completely.
Heat ghee, add jeera, curry leaves, hing and green chilli. Add sliced onion and fry till translucent. Add ginger & garlic and fry a few seconds. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, chopped tomato and saute a few minutes. Add garam masala if using. Add dal and let it come to a boil, adjust consistency as required. Switch off gas and add lemon juice & coriander leaves. This dal does not require too many spices, the 'dal ki mithaas' should come through.

Serve with jeera rice or peas pulav with some salad for a complete meal.