Skinned Split Black Lentils with Chiles and Black Pepper from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 cup skinned split black lentils (cream-colored in this form, urad dal), picked over for stones
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons Ghee or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
• 1½ teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar