Heat some oil in a pan on a medium heat and add the onion and ginger

When the onion begins to soften, add all of the ground spices to the pan and mix in. As the spices soak up the oil, the rest of the ingredients will begin to dry fry

After a few minutes add the tomatoes, bay leaves and half of the coriander

Drain the lentils and add them to the pan, along with the coconut milk and a healthy pinch of salt. Put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat and leave to cook for at least an hour on a low heat, stirring occasionally

With the lid on the water will remain in the pan but ideally you want a nice thick dahl, so remove the lid, increase the heat back to medium and reduce the liquid in the dahl to your liking (being careful to stir occasionally to avoid burning)

To serve, sprinkle the rest of the coriander over the top. I generally prefer bread over rice as an accompaniment but both work well, if you like some spice it's a good chance to add some fresh chill, I've also found that a squeeze of lime works really well in this dish