Wash and soak both the dals for fifteen minutes. Pressure cook adding salt and half of the turmeric till soft.

Lightly steam all the veggies with a little water till they are cooked.

Grind together the coriander seeds, tirphal, peppercorns, tamarind, dry red chillies, ginger, turmeric and coconut, adding a little water to make a smooth paste. Set aside the ready coconut-masala paste.

Now mash the cooked dals lightly with a spoon or a mathna / churner adding a little more water to make a runny consistency. Add the kokum, mix in. Add the jaggery and the cooked vegetables and mix in. PS- You might wonder why tamarind and kokum (both of which are souring agents) are used together in this recipe, well the tamarind imparts the tang to the curry and the kokum provides the reddish dark hue and a touch of extra sourness too which is balances the sweet flavours of the jaggery.

Heat ghee in a small pan, add the cumin seeds, allow them to crackle and then add the curry leaves. Mix in the ground coconut-masala paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add this to the dal-vegetable mix in the cooker. Adjust the salt seasoning and the consistency of the curry by adding more water if necessary. Put the cooker back on heat without fixing the lid. Gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between.

Take off heat. Serve topped with grated fresh coconut and chopped fresh coriander. Goes best with plain boiled rice with a dollop of ghee on top or hot polis / chapatis.