Khichdi (rice and moong dal with ghee and cumin)

Steps

1. Place the moong dal and rice in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and rub the grains between your hands, then pour off the water. Repeat three or four times until the water runs almost clear, then soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes and drain thoroughly.
2. While the grains soak, peel and finely grate the ginger, slit the green chile lengthwise, and chop the cilantro, keeping the finely minced stems separate from the leaves.
3. Heat half of the ghee in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the cumin seeds; once they sizzle and darken slightly, about 20 to 30 seconds, add the asafoetida, bay leaves, ginger, green chile, and cilantro stems. Stir for 1 minute until the ginger is fragrant without letting it brown.
4. Add the drained rice and dal along with the ground turmeric. Stir for 2 minutes over medium heat to coat the grains thoroughly in ghee until they look translucent around the edges.
5. Pour in the water and fine salt, bring to a boil over high heat while scraping the bottom of the pot, and skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the dal is completely broken down and the rice is meltingly soft.
6. Taste and adjust the consistency: the khichdi should flow slowly from a ladle like a thick porridge. If it is too thick, stir in a splash of boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes; keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it rests.
7. Just before serving, make the tadka: heat the remaining ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant and barely browned. Remove from the heat, stir in the Kashmiri chili powder for 5 seconds, and immediately pour the hot spiced ghee over the khichdi.
8. Discard the bay leaves, garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves, and serve piping hot in shallow bowls with plain yogurt on the side and lemon wedges for squeezing.