Dal Korma - South-Indian Style

This is a South-Indian style Kurma/Korma with a healthy mix of lentils and beans. It makes a big batch, so adjust the spices accordingly. 

I love Chettinad style gravies and kurmas. There is a certain mix of whole spices that go into their gravies that I have been obsessively trying to decode and deconstruct for several years now. And I think I have finally figured out the whole spices that give that quintessential fragrance to their kurmas. The secret ingredient is stone flower - the innocuous looking, drab looking piece of lichen. Mix this with a healthy dose of fennel seeds, some cardamom and cloves, and I get a dish that takes me back to my favorite South-Indian restaurants. I have to warn that stone flower carries no aroma in its dry state, but a little goes a long way when it's simmered in the gravy.

Add this spice mix to a medley of vegetables instead of dal, and you get a nice South-Indian style vegetable Kurma that goes great with our parottas.

Ingredients (makes a big batch - serves 8-10):

1. 4.25 cups cooked dal/lentils - a mix of toor dal and moong dal (thick dal that's not diluted with water)
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 1 star anise
4. 1 cinnamon stick
5. 2 red onions, finely chopped
6. 4 cloves of garlic ground with 1 inch block of ginger
7. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
8. 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
9. 6 green cardamoms
10. 5-6 cloves
11. 3/4 teaspoon stone flower / kalpasi
12. 1 mace
13. 1/2 cup shredded coconut
14. 2 tablespoons mint leaves
15. 3 red chillies (for a mildly spicy version)
16. 4 tomatoes, chopped
17. 1/2 cup green peas
18. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro / coriander leaves
19. salt as needed
20. a squeeze of lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Slightly toast fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, and mace until fragrant. When cool, grind with stone flower, coconut, chillies, and mint leaves with enough water to make a paste. Use in step 4
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan along with star anise and cinnamon. When the spices begin to sizzle, add onion and saute on medium heat until translucent.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute along with salt. 
4. Add turmeric powder, and the ground masala paste from step 1, reduce the heat slightly and saute/fry for about 5 minutes until it doesn't smell raw
5. Add tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
6. Add the cooked dal and peas, and enough water (to get to desired consistency) and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
7. Finally add cilantro and lemon juice and mix well

Remove and serve with rice or rotis.