Mother is maa, and to call this Punjabi curry “Mother’s Lentils” signifies the importance of the dish. There are as many legume and spice combinations as there are cooks in northwestern India, when it comes to Maa di dal. This version makes liberal use of cream and clarified butter, along with simple spices and herbs, and allows the natural creaminess of the cooked black lentils to shine. I often serve it as a first course with baskets of either store-bought or homemade