Red Lentil Dal with Rice, Yogurt and Tomatoes
In the 1980s, Susan Feniger, co-chef at Border Grill in Los Angeles, spent time cooking dal (lentils or beans) with local women at an ashram in Ahmednagar, India. She learned to make red lentils (masur dal) with curry leaves and mustard seeds from a particularly outspoken woman. Feniger recalls that even though the two of them couldn’t communicate with words, they shared a common trait: sassiness. Slideshow: More Indian RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Chefs' Easy Weeknight Dinners.