Place the washed chana dal and 5 cups (1200 ml) of water into a medium pan.
Bring to a boil over high heat, carefully skimming off any white froth that rises to the surface.
While the dal is cooking, prepare your vegetable.
Peel doodhi or chayote, quarter it lengthwise, remove the seeds, and chop into 1-inch pieces. For yellow squash, simply halve it lengthwise and slice into ½-inch pieces.
Once the froth is removed, stir the turmeric into the dal. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Then, stir in the salt, jaggery, and your prepared vegetable.
Cover the pan fully and continue to simmer gently.
Cook for 20 minutes if using doodhi or chayote, or 15 minutes for yellow squash, until the vegetable is tender.
For the final step, prepare the tempering.
Heat the ghee or oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add the asafetida, followed a second later by the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cumin seeds and cloves.
Stir for a few seconds, then add the grated ginger.
Sauté for 10-15 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the chili powder.
Immediately pour the sizzling tempering mixture over the dal.
Cover the pot quickly to trap all the beautiful aromas.
Let it sit for a minute, then stir everything together.
Remove the whole cloves before serving with chapatis, rice, or whole-grain pita.
Don't skip the quick cover after adding the tempering. This step traps the smoky, spicy aroma and infuses it deep into the dal.
