Cooking the Leaves & Dal

• Rinse the moringa leaves in a colander under cold tap water.
• Transfer them to a chopping board and chop them roughly.
• Place the toor dal in a stainless steel insert pan or directly in the inner pot of the Instant Pot and rinse under cold water.
• Add 2 cups of water to the rinsed dal and then top with the chopped moringa leaves. Make sure the leaves are immersed in water by pressing them gently. 
• Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Place the trivet inside and then place the pan with dal, leaves and water over it.
• Close the lid, turn the steam valve to sealing position.
• Press the Manual button. Set the time to 15 minutes and pressure to high.
• When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. This will take about 15 minutes.
• Open the lid and gently mash the cooked dal and moringa leaves mixture with a whisk and set it aside till you are ready to use.
• You can also cook the two in a stove-top pressure cooker (4-5 whistles) or in a pot over the stove (add an additional cup of water to take into account evaporation). 

Making the Slurry

• While the dal and leaves cook, make the slurry by whisking together the chickpea flour and water in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use. 

Making the Stew

• Transfer the cooked dal and moringa leaves mixture to a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and stir in the prepared slurry. 
• Season with salt and ground jaggery. 
• Stir to combine well.
• Cover and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Making the Finishing Oil Topping

• In a small cast iron or stainless steel pan, heat the oil over medium heat. 
• Add the mustard seeds, turmeric and asafetida.
• When the turmeric and asafetida froths, add in the dried red chilies and the garlic cloves. 
• Let the oil continue to heat over medium heat till the chilies and garlic sizzle and the garlic turns light golden brown. Turn the heat off and take the pan off the stove. 

Serving the Stew

• Adjust the seasonings of the stew, if needed.
• When the stew is thickened to a desired consistency and the chickpea flour no longer has a raw flavor, take the pot off the heat. 
• Top the stew by spooning the hot seasoned oil along with the mustard seeds, fried red chilies and garlic cloves over it, while reserving some to top on individual servings.
• Gently stir to incorporate the finishing oil in the stew a little but not completely.
• Serve on the side of whole wheat rotis or chapatis, sorghum or pearl millet flatbreads or steamed white rice. 
• Top with more finishing oil on individual servings, if desired.