oil or ghee • cumin seeds (jeera) • small to medium onion, finely chopped • ginger (adrak) - finely chopped • garlic (lahsun) - finely chopped or crushed • green chilies (hari mirch) - slit • dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch) - deseeded and broken • small to medium tomato, finely chopped • red chilli powder (lal mirch powder) • asafoetida (hing) • tightly packed fresh fenugreek or methi leaves - chopped • water to be added later •