Tadka Dal
Creamy red lentils simmered with turmeric and finished with a sizzling tempering of cumin, garlic, chili and tomato in ghee or oil.
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
Ingredients
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Small skillet
Instructions
Bring the lentils, water and turmeric to a boil in the pot, skimming off any foam. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered and stirring now and then, until the lentils collapse into a thick, creamy soup, 20–25 minutes. Stir in the salt.
For the tadka, heat the oil in the small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and chiles and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
Add the onion and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic is light golden, 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook until soft, 2–3 minutes.
Pour the sizzling tadka over the dal, stir in the garam masala and lemon juice, and scatter with cilantro. Serve with rice or flatbread.
Notes
- Dal thickens as it cools; add hot water to loosen it before serving leftovers.
- Using ghee makes it vegetarian rather than vegan.
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Nutrition estimate
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 12 g
Per serving, estimated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed amounts. Optional ingredients and to-taste seasoning are not included, and actual values vary by brand. How we estimate
