Today's recipe is dedicated to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Usted, "shahen shah" of
qawwali singing, who died last Saturday. "A voice familiar in heaven and
earth has fallen silent." (Tariq Ali)

TARKA DHAL WITH HAAK AND CHAPPATIS

If I were a condemned man, this would be my request for a last meal.
(Coincidentally, Nusrat did some of the music for "Dead Man Walking.") For
those unfamiliar with the cuisine of the sub-continent, it is a lentil dish,
topped with spiced oil, with a side order of Punjabi-style spring greens,
served with a flat bread. You will need a trip to an Asian supermarket.

For the Dhal:
I like to use urad dhal, but massor dhal (ordinary red lentils) or channa
dhal (yellow split peas) are good too. Put dhal in a sauce pan. Top with
twice the volume of water. As it comes to the boil, scum and foam will
form. Scum off as much as possible. Repeat until relatively clear. Add to
water:
Three or so bayleaves
1 dsp. Or so of coriander seeds.
A few pieces of cinnamon. bark.
Some whole, dried chillis. 0-6, to taste.

Cook until dhal are soft. Add some salt and a little ground cumin (jeera)
and turmeric (haldi) to taste. Don't add salt while cooking, or the dhal
won't soften.

For the tarka:
Heat some oil or ghee in a frying pan.
Add cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. Wait until they start to pop, then
add some thinly sliced onions, garlic, ginger and green chilli and fry until
crispy. DON'T LET THE GARLIC BURN.

To serve, put the dhal in bowls. Spoon some of the fried mix, oil and all,
on top. Top with a few coriander leaves (Dhaniya).

Variants:
Fry hard-boiled eggs, halved, until crispy.
Add curry leaves or a few anis seeds, but not both, to the oil.
The Punjabi version often adds tomatoes, but I'm not such a fan of that.

For the haak:
You will need a heavy-bottomed frying pan, with a tight fitting lid. Or
possibly a saucepan. Heat up a little oil. Add some salt, a good pinch of
asafoetida powder (hing) and some black mustard seed. Cook until the seeds
pop. (Alternately, use mustard oil and omit the seeds. Add a couple of
finely sliced green chillis, and some red chilli powder. (This is a hot
dish, by the way).

Wash a good bunch of spring greens. Chop into big-ish chunks. Add to the
oil. It will sizzle, due to residual washing water. Coat as best you can in
the oil. This will be difficult. Cover for a while until it softens, to
make it easier. Once coated, cover, turn the heat right down, and cook for
about 45 minutes. Don't worry too much about it catching, but if it's
burning a bit, add the minimum water. I usually find I have to add a bit
more chilli powder, but then I have a hardened palate.

Punjabis often add a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda, which preserves the
colour but destroys the vitamin C content. On the other hand, one might
argue that the cooking time all but removes the vitamins anyway.

Chappatis:
Whenever I ask Scots of Asian Origin how to make chappatis, they say "ask
your mum'. Now, you can either make them quite easily with chapatti flour,
water, and a lot of slapping, OR, buy a packet. Either way, the best way to
cook them is to throw them straight onto a gas flame, then turn them over
after a few seconds. Wrap in a clean tea-towel until ready to serve.

"In the name of Allah, the most benificent and most merciful,
There is no god but God,
And Muhammed is his prophet,
Peace be upon him."
Farewell, Nusrat ji.