Traditionally, Daal Makhni, the well-known Punjabi dish, is made with Urad Daal, or Black Gram lentils. This is a popular lentil in Indian cuisine, particularly in South and North India.

2 to 3 teaspoons onion-garlic-ginger paste. 4 or 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled (instructions follow) 1. Wash the daal and soak in water to cover for several hours or overnight.

Daal, yellow, red, brown or black, is a staple across India. It is often described, inadequately, as lentil soup. Except it's so much more. For a lifelong expat, it's an anchor in a shifting world.

Despite the spread of Biharis across the country, and across the continents (Mauritius, the West Indies and Fiji), there is no popular recognition of Bihar’s cuisine.