This is a simple pigeon pea curry is apparently fairly ubiquitous in Maharashtrian households. I'd never heard of it before. But, then again, I am not Indian.
I appreciate how easy it is to put together. It's not overly complex, but still has enough spices to be interesting. It works very well served over rice. Especially if you have a good vegetable curry to go with it. (Personally, I would recommend something with lots of greens.) You could add a meat or paneer curry as well for extra protein. But the legumes, rice, and veggies are sufficient on their own. Especially when served with a nice chutney and or some hot pickles.

Photo goes here.

Varan

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 c. skinned split pigeon peas (toor dal/toovar dal)
• 3 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. chopped jaggery
• 1 tsp. ground cayenne or Kashmiri chilies
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Rinse the peas several times, then drain.
2. Place in a pot with the water and bring to a boil, uncovered.
3. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
4. Stir in the jaggery, chilies, turmeric, and asafetida.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until peas are tender (20-25 minutes).
6. Purée until smooth. (Either by putting it through a blender jar in batches or using an immersion blender directly in the pot.)
7. Stir in the ghee and salt and serve.