In a small bowl, place the tamarind and hot water. Allow it to soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp, discarding any seeds or pith. Set aside.

In a small pressure cooker, add the water, toor dal, turmeric powder, and castor oil. Castor oil aids in cooking the dal to a soft consistency and is traditionally used in the Kongu region for lentil preparation. If castor oil is unavailable, you can omit it or use a small amount of vegetable oil instead.

Cook the dal for 5 minutes, allowing 4 whistles in the pressure cooker. After the specified time, remove the cooker from heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add crushed cumin seeds and garlic, coarsely textured, to the hot oil. Then, add curry leaves and broken chillies. Include sliced shallots and salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Incorporate the tamarind pulp and allow it to cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add the cooked dal and let everything come to a boil. Lastly, add the ghee and turn off the flame.

Serve the dal with hot rice.