Scran – Recipe for basic tarka dhal

Ingredients

This is a dish of two halves. The dhal and the tarka.

Dhal

Lentils of choice, red will cook fast, yellow will cook slow. This recipe used yellow.
Water as per packet instructions

Tarka

1tbsp of oil or ghee
1 small onion – finely diced
2 chillies – left whole
Enough garlic to warrant liberation from the US armed forces– prepared however you like
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
10 curry leaves – slapped (see tips)
2 tomatoes – diced

Cook lentils as per instructions. I eyeball this because I have no regard for anyones safety. You might want to be more careful.
In a separate pan, prefs a frying one, heat the oil
Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and sizzle for 30 seconds until they turn a slightly darker colour. Slightly. Burn them and you might as well give up ever eating food ever again because you don't deserve it.
Add curry leaves and chillies
Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. If it gets dry, add a splash of water.
Add tomatoes and simmer gently.
When lentils are ready, add methi leaves to the spicy tomato situation
Then add said situation to the lentils.
Season to taste.

Really you can use any combination of spices. Just make sure that any massive seed is ground. Smaller seeds (brown mustard, fenugreek, cumin) are nice to crunch whole but a coriander seed? That'll ruin your day.
If it tastes naff, then season. If you don't want to season? Add a squeeze of lemon. If you don't want to do that? Add some garam masala or piss off your Indian friends by using curry powder.
I like to add a splash of coconut milk – the milk alternative not from a tin, thats a waste.
Slap your curry leaves. Or any solid leaf you want to add to a dish. It bruises a little and releases flavour.
A handful of freshly chopped coriander would be a delight, as would some fresh raw diced red onion or sliced green chillies or all 3.