Dal Tadka

RecipenKitchen Recipe 1 h 5 min · Serves 4 · Indian

Why make it Soft, creamy yellow lentils simmered with tomato and ginger, then finished with a sizzling garlic, cumin and chilli tempering. Simple, filling and ready in about an hour.

You’ll need

Serves 4 150 g toor dal (arhar), rinsed until the water runs almost… 50 g masoor dal (red lentils), rinsed 800 ml water, plus more if needed ½ tsp turmeric powder 1½ tsp salt, or to taste 3 tbsp ghee, divided (2 tbsp for the masala, 1 tbsp for the… 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 medium onion, finely chopped + 11 more in the full recipe

1 Step 1 of 10 Put the toor dal and masoor dal in a pot with the water, turmeric and 1 tsp of the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any foam that rises.

2 Step 2 of 10 Reduce the heat to low, partly cover and simmer, stirring now and then, until the dal is completely soft and breaks apart when pressed against the pot. Add a splash of hot water if it starts to catch.

3 Step 3 of 10 Whisk the cooked dal briefly so about half of it is smooth and the rest still has some texture. It should be pourable, like thin porridge. Keep it on the lowest heat.

4 Step 4 of 10 Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant.

5 Step 5 of 10 Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and light golden at the edges. Stir in the ginger and green chillies and cook for 1 minute. The last 5 steps are in the full recipe.

Cook’s tip Soaking the toor dal for 30 minutes before cooking shortens the simmering time by about 10 minutes.

Dal Tadka

Ready to cook? Exact amounts, every step, timings and tips, free on RecipenKitchen. Get the full recipe