Cook the lentils. First, rinse the black lentils and pick them over, discarding any debris and pebbles. Put the lentils and kidney beans in a bowl, cover with water, and let soak for an hour.
Meanwhile, put the coarsely chopped onion, the garlic, ginger and fresh pepper in a blender or food processor (the small “Wildside jar” of our Blendtech blender was perfect for this job). Blend until smooth, then set aside in a small, covered container.
In another little bowl, mix together the whole cumin seed, cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne, salt, ground cardamom, fenugreek seeds and bay leaves, and set aside.
Assemble the dal in the slow cooker. Drain and rinse the lentils and beans, then put them into the slow cooker. Add the wet and dry spices, the tomato paste and the 6 cups of water, stir well, then close up the pot and turn it on. Cook on high for 9 hours. Turn off the pot, fish out and discard the bay leaves.
Make the tarka. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil to medium-high, then add the cumin seeds, fenugreek and hing. Cook until the cumin seeds start to pop—should be about 30-40 seconds. Immediately add the minced onion and the Serrano pepper, turn down the heat just a little, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown—four or five minutes.
Put it all together. Add all of the tarka to the pot of dal. Then if you like, stir in the butter and cream, and you’re ready to serve.
We just had this on its wonderful, fragrant own, but you can serve it over basmati rice, or with naan or roti. And to drink? A nice saison or Belgian style ale or, if you prefer wine, a cold, unoaked Chardonnay.