I have been tweaking the dal recipe for several years now and I am finally getting that taste I am after.  txt attached

I generally use rounded spoonfuls as I find most recipes I start with are way under spiced.  For garlic and ginger I almost always use much more than the recipe calls for.  Once you get the hang of it, Indian cooking allows for a lot of improv.  I do try to keep accurate records from batch to batch so I can continually improve.

As far as the optional lime and coconut,  I do not use it.  I think the lime juice may have a place in this recipe, but the tiny amount it called for seems almost insignificant.  Maybe that's why I have never used it.