Dahl (dal or dhal) is to cities like Mumbai, what the dumpling is to Shanghai, a beloved staple dish. Loved by poor and affluent classes alike, it is very cheap, yet highly flavoursome, and most mothers would claim that theirs is the best. From the year Tom spent working in India, he's had many fond memories of sharing this with good friends at all hours of the day. This dish is traditionally eaten with chapatti (Indian flatbread) and rice to which curd or raita could be added. It comes in many forms, the most common being as either yellow, dahl tadka, or black, dahl makhani. Dahl makhani is most common to Northern India and consists of soaked black lentils slowly cooked in butter and cream over many hours with an array of aromatic spices till deliciously creamy. Dahl tadka is certainly the healthier option, consisting of yellow lentils slowly cooked with onions, tomatoes, mustard seed and garlic.

Indian | Kaveen’s Kitchen

This venue serves up a a massive helping of dahl tadka (¥36) in a copper barrel. Garnished with toasted cumin seeds, it's creamy and incredibly flavorful. A lot of time and effort has clearly gone into making this a dahl so authentic, we swear we can hear a cacophony of auto-rickshaws buzzing down on Huashan Lu. Kaveen's rich rendition of this Indian staple will leave you with a warm, toasty feeling of satiety. Find It 2/F, 231 Huashan Lu 华山路231号2楼, Tel: 6248-8292

Indian | Lotus Land

Rich, creamy and full of aromatic spices, this dahl makhani (¥38) embodies everything you could want in a black dahl. This generously portioned dahl is slowly cooked for many hours to ensure that the lentils melt into the cream, butter, onions, garlic and tomatoes. The thick, stewed black lentils cling to the accompanying chapatti and rice without dribbling down your fingers. Find It 2/F, No. 12, Lane 274 Taikang Lu 泰康路274弄12号2楼, Tel: 5465-2743

Indian | Masala Art

This dahl tadka (¥28) has a rich, earthy flavor, yet it’s still considerably lighter than a dahl makhani since it’s made with yellow lentils. Masala Art’s dahl comes finished with an abundance of toasted cumin and fresh coriander that give off a stunning aroma. Enjoy with chapatti, rice and lashings of cucumber raita Find It 397 Dagu Lu 大沽路397号, Tel: 6327-3571