Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), rinsed, soaked 30 minutes, and drained
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 carrot, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 plum tomato, minced
• 1 small Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 small Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• (1) 2 ¹⁄₂" pieces ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
• ¹⁄₂ small daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 drumstick, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
• ¹⁄₄ cup ghee
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 small green Thai chile or 1/2 serrano, halved

Instructions

1. Bring dal and 8 cups water to a boil in a 6–qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; stir in turmeric, carrot, tomato, eggplant, potatoes, ginger, daikon, and salt; cook until dal is mushy, about 45 minutes. Stir in coconut, sugar, asafoetida, and drumstick; cook until drumstick is tender, 20–25 minutes. Melt ghee in an 8" skillet over medium-high; cook cumin seeds and chile until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes; stir into stew.