Ingredients:

Basmati rice 300 gm/1 ¼ cups
Lentils (toor daal) 160 gm/ 2/3 cup
Asafoetida (heeng) 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Cardamoms 5
Cashew nuts, split 20 gm/4 tsp
Cauliflower, small florets 60 gm/ ¼ cup
Bengal gram (chana daal), husked
and split 60 gm/ ¼ cup
Cinnamon 2 sticks of 1” each
Cloves 5
Cumin (jeera) seeds 2.5 gm/1 tsp
Curry leaves 10
Fenugreek (methi) seeds 5 gm/1 tsp
Green peas 60 gm/ ¼ cup
Groundnut oil to deep fry
Groundnut oil for tempering 30 ml/2 tbs
Lentils (urad daal), husked and split 30 gm/2 tbs
Mustard (sarson) seeds 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Red chili powder 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Red chillies, whole 2
Salt to taste
Tamarind (imlee) extract 45 gm/3 tbs
Tomatoes, chopped 400 gm/ 1 2/3 cups
Turmeric (haldi) powder 5 gm/1 tsp

Method:

1.Wash rice and toor daal and soak separately for 30 minutes. To make the masala, broil the gram and urad daal separately on a griddle till light brown. Broil the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds separately on the griddle for 30 seconds each. Grind together with the broiled urad daal and gram in a blender.
2.Deep fry the cashew nuts till golden brown. Keep aside. Put toor daal in a handi, add 2.5 litres/10 cups water and bring to a boil. Let simmer until almost cooked. Drain rice and add to the daal with peas and cauliflower and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, tamarind and the asafoetida. Add red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir in the blended masala. Cover and simmer till lentils and rice are mashed and achieve a porridge like consistency. Sprinkle curry leaves and let simmer.
3.Meanwhile, heat 30 ml/2 tablespoons oil in a kadhai and crackle mustard seeds in it. Add whole red chillies and stir for 15 seconds. Pour the tempering over the lentil-rice mixture. Stir for 2 minutes.Garnish with cashew nuts and serve with mango pickle and poppadams.

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