A creamy dal with smoked flavours

Dal Tadka, or lentil tadka, is a traditional Indian lentil dish cooked with arhar or masoor dal. This Dal Tadka recipe provides a creamy dal with smoked flavours. One of the most popular lentil dishes served in Indian restaurants. Dal tadka is simply cooked lentils tempered with fried spices and herbs in oil or ghee.

Tadka or Chaunk is the Hindi term for tempering and is a commonly employed cooking technique in the Indian cuisine.

INGREDIENTS

for pressure cooking:

• ½ cup toor dal (rinsed)

• 2 tbsp masoor dal (rinsed)

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp oil

• 1½ cup water

for dal:

• 2 tbsp ghee

• ½ tsp cumin / jeera

• 1 bay leaf / tej patta

• pinch hing / asafoetida

• 2 dried red chilli

• 2 clove garlic (crushed)

• 1 inch ginger (crushed)

• 1 chilli (slit)

• 1 onion (finely chopped)

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

• ½ tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tomato (finely chopped)

• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)

• 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed)

• ¼ tsp garam masala

for tadka:

• 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter

• ½ tsp cumin / jeera

• pinch hing / asafoetidav

• 1 dried red chilli

• ¼ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

• 1 tsp coriander (finely chopped)

How to Make

1. To begin, combine 1⁄2 cup toor dal and 2 tablespoons masoor dal in a pressure cooker. If you want, you can also add moong dal.

2. add 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oil, and 1½ cup water

3. Cook for 5 whistles or until dal is thoroughly cooked.

4. add 1 cup water, Set aside for now.

5. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a big kadai and splutter 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf, pinch hing, and 2 dried red chillies.

6. add 2 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, and 1 chilli , cook slightly

7. 1 onion should also be added and saute till golden brown.

8. keeping the flame on low add ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp salt.

9. add 1 tomato, and saute till it turns soft and mushy

10. Stir in the cooked dal, adjusting the consistency as needed.

11. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the flavours are fully mixed.

12. now add 2 tbsp coriander, 1 tsp kasuri methi, and 1/4 tsp garam masala. Mix thoroughly.

13. Finally, serve the dal tadka with steaming rice or jeera rice.