Tadka Dal Recipe

SIMPLE INDIAN DAL TADKA

COURSE: DINNER

CUISINE: INDIAN

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR

SERVINGS: SERVINGS

CALORIES: 214KCAL

Dal tadka is a simple Indian lentil curry tempered with spices and herbs. This staple is common in almost every Indian household and packed with protein. Serve with flatbread or rice!

INGREDIENTS

FOR MAKING LENTILS:

1 cup toor dal split yellow pigeon peas - substitute with moong dal as needed
1 tsp turmeric
4 cups water for stove top, use 2.5 cups for Instant Pot or pressure cooker

FOR MAKING DAL BASE:

1 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tomato medium, chopped
1/2 onion medium, chopped
1-2 Thai green chilli pepper Thai chilli preferred, use Serrano otherwise
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1.5 tsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro chopped

FOR THE THE TADKA, I.E. TEMPERING:

1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 dried Indian red chilli peppers optional
1/4 tsp red chilli powder substitute with paprika powder

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE LENTILS:

Rinse and clean lentils thoroughly, a couple of times typically does the trick - soak in water for 15 mins
Drain lentils, add water and turmeric - cover and bring to boil ( 2-3 mins)
When water starts bubbling vigorously, reduce heat to a simmer (low to medium) for 30 minutes - if lentils feel hard, cook for 5 more minutes
Final product should be soft, with some liquid left - if there's a ton of additional liquid, drain into a cup and save some for later (for when you make the dal base)

MAKE THE DAL BASE:

5 mins before lentils are cooked, heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds - toast for a minute
Add chopped onions, green chilli - saute until fragrant (~3 min)
Add tomatoes and deglaze pan (i.e. crush tomatoes to release juices)
Add cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder and salt and mix well - this is the dal base and cook together for 3 to 5 minutes (paprika works here too)
Add dal base to the lentils and let it cook, covered for 5 minutes - add up to half a cup of reserved water to get dal to your desired consistency

MAKE THE TADKA:

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the tadka in the same pan you used for the dal base: add ghee, and let it melt
Once ghee has melted, add mustard and cumin seeds - let it splutter
Add dried red chilli (optional) + red chilli powder and mix (~30 seconds)
Pour tadka over cooked dal, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot

NOTES

You'll need both a pot and a pan for this recipe - use the pan for making the dal base and the tempering
You can use toor, moong or masoor to make dal tadka. Check the post for changes in cooking times for each of those lentils.
If you're using a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, total time is closer to 30 minutes. For detailed instructions, please check the post for cook times
While tempering: if you use raw spices, add them first to the ghee or avocado oil. If you're using ground spices, add them together and cook for a short amount to prevent burning. Check out the post for detailed explanation!

NUTRITION