Simple Indian Dal Tadka
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5.0
198 reviews
Excellent
Simple Indian Dal Tadka
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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!
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Ingredients
For making lentils:
- 1 cup toor dal split yellow pigeon peas - substitute with moong dal or masoor dal as needed
- 4 cups water for stove top, use 2.5 cups for Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
For making dal base:
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ onion medium, chopped
- 1-2 Thai green chili pepper Thai chili preferred, use Serrano otherwise
- 2 tomato medium, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
For the the tadka, i.e. tempering:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 dried Indian red chili peppers optional
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder substitute with paprika
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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 chili - 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 chili (optional) + red chili 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 Information
Show Details
Calories
214kcal
(11%)
Carbohydrates
27g
(9%)
Protein
9g
(18%)
Fat
9g
(14%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
19mg
(6%)
Sodium
924mg
(39%)
Potassium
196mg
(6%)
Fiber
7g
(28%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
591IU
(12%)
Vitamin C
11mg
(12%)
Calcium
49mg
(5%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 214kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 19mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 924mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 196mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 591IU | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 11mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 49mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
198 reviews
Excellent
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