• Rinse the toor dal and then cook in pressure cooker or on stovetop with 2 cups of water. Once cooked, puree with immersion or countertop blender.

make the dough

• In a small bowl, add the flour, salt, red chili powder, turmeric, carom seeds, and oil and mix together. Then add enough water to make a pliable, smooth dough. Set aside, covered for at least 20 minutes so the gluten can relax.

make the vaghar and dal

• Heat 2 TBSP of oil (or ghee, if using) in a medium-sized sauce pot over medium heat.
• When oil shimmers, add the rai and ajamo and let them sizzle and pop. This process of adding spices to a hot oil or ghee is called the vaghar.
• Add the pureed toor dal and be careful of the splatter. Cover immediately until the splatter settles down.
• Remove the lid, then add the salt, turmeric, red chili powder, methi masala, tomato paste, and another 3 cups of water
• While the dal is coming to a boil, begin making the dhokri

make the dhokri

• Divide the rested dough into 6 equal pieces.
• Using a velan or rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle that is about ⅛ inch thick. The circles don't have to be perfect.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the dhokri into squares. (I like bigger dhokri so I cut mine into 9 pieces)
• When the dal has come to a boil, add the dhokri and romano beans (if using), and cover the pot and let the dhorki cook in the dal for about 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes so that the dhokri aren't sticking to the bottom.
• The dhokri should be tender and cooked all the way through. Add the lemon juice and taste for any final seasoning adjustments. Then, ladle into a bowl and serve.