Wash together the bootor dali (split chickpeas / chana dal) and masur dali (split red lentils). Drain and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. Stir for a couple of seconds.
Add the onion and stir for one and a ½ minutes over medium heat.
Add ¼ tsp salt; this will help to cook the onions faster.
Stir for another 1 and a ½ minutes.
Add the ground ginger, chilli and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the split chickpeas and split red lentil mix and stir well.
Add the turmeric powder. ground cumin, chilli powder, salt and sugar.
Stir for a minute and add the green chillies. Stir for another 30 seconds.
Add 3 and ½ cups of hot water, stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes (see notes below), stirring every ten minutes.
Add 1 cup water after 20 minutes and another cup after 30 minutes.
When the forty minutes are over, stir, then cover and cook for another three minutes.
Stir in the garam masala powder and chopped coriander.
Add the ghee and stir well.
Remove from heat (see notes below) and serve hot with Indian breads. We had ours with luci /poori. Find the recipe for luci here.