• Wash the dal several times in water until the water remains clear. Then soak it for about 30 minutes.
• Add the dal together with the chopped tomato, chopped pealed yam, the peanuts, the dates, sesame seeds, half a teaspon of salt and two cups of water into a pressure cooker.
• If you don't own a pressure cooker, cook everything in a regular saucepan on medium heat until the dal is quite soft.

  If you do own one: on medium heat, cook until the cooker whistled 4 times, then wait for the pressure cooker to have cooled down, until the pressure has reduced.
• Whisk the dal mix properly. Add two cups of water (probably better to put everything into a bigger pot) and place it on the stove with medium heat.
• Now add the turmeric, cumin and coriander powders, the jaggery or sugar, the slit chilies, lemon juice and salt to taste. Boil everything up once, while stirring it frequently. Then keep it aside while preparing the tempering.
  

The tempering

• Now prepare the tempering in a small pan.
• Heat up oil and then add mustard seed, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, dried chili, cloves and cinnamon. When the seeds splatter properly, add the asafoetida, ginger, curry leaves and the chili powder for about 15 seconds. Pour everything, while it's still hot, into the dal.
  
• Add finely chopped coriander leaves and stir it once. Garnish with some chopped leaves.
• Dal is either served in small bowls or poured on top of rice.

  Enjoy!