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in the Madras Province, and in all cases ghee is a better substitute for oil) in a pan and boil it till the bubbles die out. Then fry some spices in it and when the bubbles have again subsided fry the materials to be cooked in the oil till slightly brown if they are not browned before. Then water with ground or pasted spices is added for boiling. Browning and seasoning are thus sometimes combined together, and seasoning may be made either before or after boiling. When seasoning is made after boiling, as in the case of Dal when boiled Dal is added to the boiling oil with spices fried in it, it is called "Sambhar". Otherwise it is called "Foron". Various spices, and in variety of combinations, are used, of which the most common are red chillies, mustard seeds, cassia leaves, cumin, etc., and the most common combination is "Panch-foron" (Panch means five) consisting of cumin, aniseed, mustard, black cumin and fenugreek, five in all.
Before taking down a finishing touch is given by adding ghee and "garam-masalla", which consists of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, in the entire, ground or paste condition. In cooking dal, curries, fish, meat, etc., these must necessarily be added.
