Easy dal tadka recipe
Dal Tadka is a soul-satisfying dish made with yellow lentils (toor dal), cooked until soft, and topped with a sizzling, aromatic tempering of ghee, cumin, garlic, and red chilies.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or heavy-bottomed pot
- Tadka pan or small frying pan
- Laddles and spoons
- Mesh or dal masher
Ingredients
For the Dal:
- ½ cup Toor dal pigeon peas
- ¼ cup Moong dal yellow lentils
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 small green chili slit (optional)
For the First Tadka:
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch of hing asafoetida
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 2 dry red chilies broken
- 1 tsp kasuri methi crushed (my twist!)
For the Second (Smoky) Tadka:
- 1.5 tbsp ghee or butter
- 3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp paprika optional for color
- Pinch of black pepper
- Optional: 1 small piece of charcoal + ghee for dhungar
Instructions
Pressure Cook the Dal
- Wash both dals well and soak for 15–20 minutes.
- In a cooker, add soaked dals, chopped onion, tomato, turmeric, salt, ginger, and 3 cups of water.
- Pressure cook for 3 whistles, or boil in a pot until soft and mushy.
- Once cooked, mash with a whisk or ladle until creamy.
- I like mixing dals — it gives a richer texture and nuttier flavor. Moong adds creaminess, toor brings body.
First Tadka (Flavor Layer 1!)
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a tadka pan.
- Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
- Add cumin seeds, dry chilies, curry leaves, and hing.
- Sauté for 20 seconds and pour this fragrant goodness into your cooked dal.
- Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi in and simmer for 5 minutes.
Smoky Garlic Tadka (Flavor Layer 2!)
- In the same tadka pan, heat 1.5 tbsp ghee or butter.
- Add thinly sliced garlic. Cook on medium-low till golden and crispy.
- Add chili powder, paprika, and a pinch of black pepper. Sizzle for 10 seconds.
- Immediately pour over the dal just before serving.
- This is the show-stopper moment. That sizzling garlic-on-ghee sound? ASMR in my kitchen.
Optional Dhungar (Smoky Love) the restaurant styule
- Heat a small piece of charcoal until red hot.
- Place a steel katori (small bowl) in the cooked dal, drop the charcoal in, add a tsp of ghee, and cover the pot for 2 mins.
- Remove charcoal before serving.
Notes
- Ghee > oil: Trust me, it elevates flavor like magic.
- Want it vegan? Use vegan butter or mustard oil and skip the dhungar.
- Add a splash of lemon juice for brightness if you’re skipping tomatoes.
- Stir in some boiled palak (spinach) for a twist on weekday greens.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 8g