Nina Kang's Indian dahl

To make the base:

Fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chillies together in butter or oil on a low heat until golden (the onions usually emit their own juices when done).

Add the salt, garam masala and turmeric to the mixture and stir.

For vegetables or meat: Cook the base mixture and then add the chopped vegetable or raw meat. Cover the pan and then allow to cook on a low heat stirring occasionally until done. With meat, you could also add water to make it into more of a curry.

For lentil dahls: Cover the lentils with water and simmer until done (cooking time depends on type of lentil, so check the packet for cooking instructions). You can make the base at the same time and when it's cooked, just add to the lentil pan - no need to drain the water. Then simmer until the texture's right. You can make this as thick or watery as you like, just cook more or less.