Online recipe

Dal Tadka

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)
Servings 4 · Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min · Total 40 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

Indian yellow lentils finished with a tadka of spices fried in hot ghee.

Cook Dal

Add to a pot or pressure cooker and rinse very well:
    1 cup (200 grams) toor dal (split pigeon peas or ¾ cup toor dal, ¼ cup moong dal or red lentils & 2 tbsps chana dal)

Rub the lentils by hand while rinsing. Drain completely.

Pour in the water and pressure cook the dal on medium heat for 3 to 4 whistles:
    3 cups water (to cook dal)

In an instant pot, pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.

When the pressure drops naturally, open the lid. The dal should be soft cooked.

Lightly mash, keeping some of the dal intact. Add more water only if needed for consistency:
    ¾ cup hot water (use only if required to adjust the consistency)

While the lentils cook, pour into a medium pan and heat it:
    1½ to 2 tablespoon oil

Add to the hot oil:
    ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

They will begin to splutter. Then add the ginger garlic and saute on low heat until fragrant:
    1 teaspoon (1 inch) ginger peeled & fine chopped
    1 teaspoon (4) garlic cloves, fine chopped

Add the onions and green chilies:
    1 medium (⅓ to ½ cup) onion (fine chopped)
    1 green chilli (chopped, optional)

Fry until slightly golden.

Reduce the heat. Add:
    ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder
    ¼ teaspoon turmeric
    ½ teaspoon garam masala

Give a quick stir.

Stir in the tomatoes along with salt:
    2 medium (1 cup) tomatoes (deseeded, fine chopped)
    1 teaspoon salt (more to adjust)

Saute until the tomatoes are soft and the mixture smells good.

Transfer to the cooked dal and simmer about 6 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Then add:
    1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Stir the boiling dal. Add, and turn off the heat:
    1 to 2 tablespoon coriander leaves (fine chopped, more for garnish)

Smoke Dal (Dhungar, optional)

Place a tall steel cup in the center of the pot. With tongs, hold a wood coal over a direct flame until red and hot, about 2 minutes.

Place it gently into the cup and pour ½ teaspoon ghee over the hot coal. When it smokes, cover the pot quickly and let the dal smoke for 3 to 4 minutes.

How to Make Dal Tadka

Transfer the hot lentils to a serving bowl. Pour 2 tbsps ghee into a small pan; heat on medium heat:
    2 tablespoons ghee (oil for a vegan dish)

Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds (optional):
    ½ to ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
    ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)

Fry and splutter on low heat until aromatic.

Next add and stir:
    2 dried red chilies

Add the garlic and curry leaves (optional):
    ½ to 1 tablespoon garlic fine chopped (I use 1 tbsp)
    1 sprig curry leaves (optional, pat dry)

Fry until light and aromatic; do not brown.

Stir in the asafoetida and red chili powder:
    ⅛ teaspoon hing (asafoetida) (or gluten-free hing)
    ⅓ teaspoon red chilli powder

Quickly remove from heat. Pour over the dal:
    the tadka

Garnish with coriander leaves. Squeeze lemon juice over the dal when serving:
    1 medium lemon (to serve, or use 1 tsp amchur – dried mango powder)

Serve with Basmati rice, roti, paratha, naan, jeera rice, or ghee rice.

Citations
- Swasthi's Recipes · Dal Tadka Recipe (Restaurant Style): https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/dal-tadka/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dal+Tadka
- web writeups: https://www.google.com/search?q=Dal+Tadka+recipe

Cookbook ancestor
- Affiliate: buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1849905789?tag=recipeancesto-20
- Reference: Rick Stein's India by Rick Stein (2013). Publisher: BBC Physical Audio, 2014 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-1849905787.

We put this together for personal use. See the citations.