"...the thingness of something becomes apparent when it is no longer functioning as it did before or it becomes dysfunctional or if it appears in an unexpected place..."
recipe for thick golden dahl
10 or 20 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
3 or 6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 or 4 teaspoons turmeric
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 or 4 cups red lentils, rinsed
6 or 10 cups vegetable stock
1 or 2 bay leaves
juice of 1 or 2 lemons
salt and pepper
Crush up the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle and grab the seeds (throw the crumbled pods away)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add onions and then cover and cook for about 5 minutes - they should go nice and soft.
Add cardamom seeds, garlic, turmeric, and ginger and stir-fry for another five minutes or so.
Add the lentils, stock and bay leaf and bring the mixture to the boil - drop the heat down so that it’s just simmering. Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes - it’ll thicken up nicely. When it’s ready to eat, stir through the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
And don’t be an idiot and let it burn.