Most South Indians prefer to have their dal (or pappu as it is known in Telugu in Andhra Pradesh) with rice and a dab of ghee, for lunch. However in North India, rotis or phulkas (Indian bread) are savored with a curry (a vegetable based dish) and dal for lunch and even dinner. I guess this is to supplement the protein needs through the dal. Last week, my husband was recollecting his pleasant food memories during his childhood days and mentioned that his mother used to make a particular dal with shallots in it. My mother -in- law mentioned that