Masoor dal is the quick one. Split red lentils that break down in twenty minutes without soaking, turning golden and creamy with almost no effort.

This is the dal for a weeknight. Nothing else in the cupboard gets a meal on the table faster.

Boil with turmeric and salt until it collapses, then pour over a tempering of ghee, cumin, dried chilli and sliced garlic. Serve with rice or roti. It also thickens a soup nicely if you have half a cup left over.

Available at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.