This is one of the very simplest dals that you can make, and you’d find it on the table every day in a Kolkata household. It’s very soothing; traditionally you’d serve it with lime wedges and a green chilli on the side (my aunts on both sides have been known to crunch the green chilli up just as it is). This dal is lovely with freshly cooked white rice with butter or ghee, but you could also serve it with chapattis or flatbreads.