Thoroughly rinse 1/3 cup of Toor dal (Yellow split pigeon peas) and 1/3 cup of small grain white rice and put it in a pressure cooker with water twice its quantity. Also add 1 tsp of ghee and 1 tsp of salt in the pressure cooker. Close the lid and cook the rice and dal for 20 mins on medium-high heat. Then turn of the gas and let the cooker cool down completely before opening it.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can also do the above step in an open pot. After rinsing the dal and the rice, soak them for couple of hours (this step with lower the cooking time). Then in a large pot, add dal, rice, salt, ghee and enough water and let it cook over medium heat until the dal and rice are fully cooked, and all the water is evaporated.

In another large pot, bring water to a boil, then add 3 cups of baby Spinach leaves and cook them for two minutes. Then immediately transfer the blanched spinach into a bowl filled with ice cold water.

In another non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp ghee and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds swell, add ¼th tsp asafetida, 1 cup finely chopped red onions, 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes, 1/4th tsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric powder and mix everything well.

Cook the veggies until they’re tender. Then add ½ cup of boiled corn kernels (optional). Followed by the spinach purée that you made. Mix everything well and let the spinach purée come to a boil.

Now add the cooked rice and Toor dal (Yellow split pigeon peas) into the skillet and gently mix until everything is well combined. Taste check for seasoning.

Serve immediately with some chilled plain yogurt.