Lucy. Bill

How many chickens are you going to raise, Pam? Bill

The Master and Margarita inspired Mick Jagger to write Sympathy for the Devil (1968). Bill

A presoak will soften the beans and shorten cooking times. As Mathnerd suggested, I'd gently cook the beans in plain water until just tender, and then rinse. At that point you can add in more water and seasonings and cook until finished. And you can puree some portion of the dal to give it a creamy texture. Bill

Another thing you can do to make the dish creamier is to puree a portion of the beans (while leaving the rest whole) then recombining them to get a mix of textures. Bill

Urad Dal requires a good soaking (12-18 hrs) prior to cooking. Not like brown lentils. Bill

The homemade mayo and no smoothies suggests food processor. Immersion blenders are awesome for pureeing hot foods right in the pot. Far less dangerous and mess making that using a blender. Our regular/traditional blenders are in storage. We do use a Cuisinart food processor, and a Krupps inversion blender, and a very useful Ninja IQ personal (bullet-style) blender. If not for homemade mayo I'd have suggested the Ninja. Great for salad dressings and pesto and OK (if one doesn't over-blend) hummus. Food processor less handy for salad dressings than Ninja, somewhat better at hummus, equal at pesto, essential for mayo (where Ninja is out). Bill

Contact them. Don't burn out the motor. Bill

Thanks. I've taken her loss pretty hard. Bill

Good job. I missed that you already had Urad Dal. That's exactly what Peterpan needs. Not sure how Rani brand has changed hands. The current website doesn't even mention her. Sad. She was fairly elderly when I knew her. I was a regular in her shop and we'd talk and talk. I assume she passed. The shop is long gone. Bill

Easy mistake as both are "black lentils." Beluga stay very firm. Great choice for a lentil salad. Not right for this dish. Not at all. You want Urad Dal. Like this: By chance, I knew the woman who started this "Rani" brand. She had a little shop in Culver City when we met called Bharat Bazar. She was just getting into establishing her own brand of spices and other ingredients. Decades ago. She was old then. Best maker of mango pickles (as she would tell you herself). Anyway, Urad Dal is what you want. Very common at an Indian grocery. Bill The other bean you want for this dish is red kidney beans (called "rajma" in Indian markets).

The black lentil you want is called Urad Dal in Indian markets. Not beluga lentils, which are tasty in their own way, but not to recreate this dish. Too firm. You want Urad Dal. Bill

Times are hard. Bill

Oops. I meant kheer. Typo. I like mine with nuts (especially pistachio) and saffron and golden raisins (sultanas). I prefer lightly sweet. Flakes of edible gold leaf purely optional. Bill

Kherr? Bill