Dal Sultani | Awadhi Style Dal Tadka

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For preparing Dal Sultani, we are using 2-hour soaked Arhar/Toor dal. In a large pot, simmer the dal with haldi, laal mirch, and namak, and over boil it till it becomes mashy. You can use a pressure cooker as well. For the dal masala, we are taking moti elaichi, hari elaichi, and laung and grinding them with a mortar and pestle or a grinder.
While the dal is 90% cooked, you can mash it manually to ensure it has the right consistency. For an unusual step, we are taking dahi and cream/malai, mixing both well, and gradually adding them to the dal on high flame. Cook till it boils.

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Take a betel leaf, rest it on top of your dal, completely burn cinnamon on a stove (which is a very good alternative to coal). Blow out the fire from the smoking cinnamon, put it on the betel leaf, and pour ghee over it. Close the lid while smoking the dal.
For the tadka, heat ghee in a small pan and cook jeera until it makes a popping sound. Add sliced garlic, chopped onions, and slit green chilies. Do not overcook the onions to brown. Remove the cinnamon and betel leaf from the dal, or you can swirl the leaf in the dal before removing it to get more of its flavor.

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When the tadka is ready, add red chili powder to it and directly pour it over your dal and mix it. If the dal is too thick, ideally add milk or optionally water to adjust the consistency to your liking. Towards the end, add salt and the ground masala to the dal, mix it in, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Your Dal Sultani is ready to be savored.