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Dal Tadka Recipe

Indian · Main course · 45 min total

A comforting and aromatic Indian lentil dish tempered with spices in ghee, perfect with rice or naan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow split pigeon peas (toor dal)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2 dried red chilies, broken
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Rinse the toor dal thoroughly. In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine dal, water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes until dal is soft and mushy. Mash lightly with a spoon.
2. While dal cooks, prepare the tadka (tempering). Heat ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida, and dried red chilies. Cook until seeds crackle, about 30 seconds.
3. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Sauté until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and red chili powder. Cook until tomatoes soften and oil separates, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Pour the tadka over the cooked dal and stir well. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to blend flavors.
6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan.

Tips

• For a richer flavor, use ghee instead of oil.
• Adjust water to achieve your preferred consistency; add more for soupier dal.
• Leftover dal can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of water.

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