Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) 

The recipe is from Julie Sahni, who says, in her Classic Indian Vegetarian & Grain Cooking, that this is a Bihari style of dal (legume dish). It's fairly simple, with seasonings of turmeric, salt, oil, cumin seeds, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and cilantro. I left out the chilies, and also soaked the lentils for an hour or two before cooking, although soaking isn't necessary for these. An immersion blender helped make the dal smooth and creamy.