Indian cuisine is incredibly diverse but no matter where you go, every region has some sort of dal. This Dal Tadka is made with Tuvar Dal mixed with a spicy tomato gravy and a tadka, which is a tempering of spices that may change the way you layer flavor.
Lentils tempered with spices and ghee, this Dal Tadka is one of the most popular Indian dishes and also my personal favorite.
You can use burnt charcoal for that smokey flavor which makes the dal even more special!
Dal and rice is one of those meals that made the transition to eating plant-based a little smoother for me because my family will continue eating it forever, very comforting Dal Tadka. It is also a bang for your buck, great source of protein and fiber, and let me know if I am wrong, but I think lentils are pretty uncontroversial.
Here I am using toor dal, you can use one of them, two of them, all three, more than three…its your dal! You can prepare the dal in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or simmer all in one pot for longer.
What makes dal tadka especially flavorful is the base of aromatics, tomatoes, and spices, followed by the final tadka – a method for tempering spices, where the fat carries the aromas of the spices and transforms the dal. Think of it like an extra layer of flavor. The effect that red tights or cool sunglasses have on an outfit? That is what a tadka is for dal. I usually do cumin seeds, hing, and red chilis in mustard oil or vegan butter, but you can play around with fats and spices to create final products that are totally distinct from each other.
Whenever we would eat out in India we would always order 2 types of dal for the table – dal tadka and dal makhani.
Most Indians I know prefer eating Dal Makhani when they are eating out, simply because it is not something that you make every day. Dal tadka on the other hand is made with toor dal which has to be the most common dal in Indian kitchens!
Toor dal (or arhar dal) was made in my house every day. So obviously when you go out, you do not want to eat what you anyway eat every day.
Actually the version that was made in my house everyday was super simple, with just a tadka of garlic and ghee on top of boiled dal.
Dal Tadka on the other hand uses a lot of ingredients and spices, making it a special dish. So even thought the lentil was same, the overall taste was very different.
This restaurant style Dal Tadka is my absolute favorite. I really love dal tadka over any other dal.
This Restaurant Style Dal Tadka tastes just like the dal tadka from your favorite restaurant, it has a smokey flavor which makes it more amazing!
lt tastes amazing with plain rice or jeera rice. It has a bursting of some amazing flavors. You make it in a way you like it. That is always been my philosophy for cooking. After a lot of attempts, I have finally zeroed on my favorite version of dal tadka and I am really excited to be sharing this one with you guys.
Ingredients for 10 Minutes Dal Tadka
Steps for 10 Minutes Dal Tadka
10 Minutes Dal Tadka
Ingredients
200 grams Tuvar Dal-1 cup
2 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Red Chillies
2 pinch Hing
1 Onion
1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
Half teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 Tomato
2 Green Chillies
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups of Water
2 tablespoon Ghee
1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
Steps
Wash and soak one cup Tuvar daal in water for 1 hour.
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pressure cooker, add one and a half teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 dry red chilli, 2 pinch hing and stir it for 10 seconds, add 1 chopped onion fry till golden brown, then add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, fry the ginger garlic paste for a minute then add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, half teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon water.
Now stir fry the masala for 1 minute add little water if required to avoid the masala to stick in the base.
Then add 1 finely chopped tomato, 1 teaspoons salt, 2 chopped green chillies mix it well on high flame, till tomatoes are soft.
Drain the water from the soaked dal and transfer the Dal to the masala, fry the Dal with the masala on high flame for 1 to 2 minutes, then add 3 cups of water and pressure cook the dal till one whistle on high flame and then on low flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
By the time the dal is being cooked lets prepare the Tadka.
Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a small kadai, add one teaspoon chopped garlic sauté light brown, then off the flame and add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder mix it well.
After 5 to 6 minutes open the pressure cooker lid and check the dal.
If you like thin consistency of the dal, add little hot water and mash it with a whisker to make it creamy and lumps free.
Cook the dal on low flame for a minute, then pour the prepared tadka on the cooked dal.
Your Dal Tadka is ready to serve.
I hope you guys enjoy this dal tadka recipe, we sure did! Serve it with jeera rice for a perfect meal.
If you like my recipes then do try and share your feedback and tag us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
Tips; *To make it spicy add more red chili powder or green chilies. *To enjoy the dal for its best flavor and taste eat it hot after it is prepared. On cooling or resting the consistency will thicken and the taste also changes.
