Side Dish

Makes 16 (enough for 4 people) Ingredients 3¼ cups chapati flour, or 1¾ cups whole-wheat and 1¾ cups all-purpose white flour (plus extra to dust) ½ teaspoon salt canola oil 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot water Instructions Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt, and mix together. Make a well in the middle, add 3 tablespoons of oil, and mix, using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in 1 cup of the water, then add the rest little by little—you may not need it all—until you can knead the mixture into a soft and pliable dough, which will take 6 to 8 minutes. ...

This dal is my and every other Gujarati’s taste of home. One spoonful and I am transported. It has a more complex taste than most dals due to the subtle jabs of star anise, curry leaves, and lemon, all rounded off with the sweetness of honey. Because of the time it takes to soak and cook toor lentils, this is more of a weekend dish in our house, although a daily staple across Gujarat. ...