Indian & South Asian · Lunch · Dinner
Dal Tadka
दाल तड़का
Creamy yellow lentils simmered with turmeric, tomato and ginger, then finished with a sizzling tempering of cumin, garlic and red chilli. A comforting, protein-rich Indian classic made with just a spoonful of oil.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 63% · Fat 17% · Protein 20%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup200 gToor dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
- 4 cups950 gWater
- 1/2 tspGround turmeric
- 1 tsp6 gSalt
- 1 tbsp14 gSunflower oil
- 1 medium110 gOnion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp6 gFresh ginger, grated
- 15 gGreen chilli, slit
- 2 medium240 gTomatoes, chopped
- 1 tspCumin seeds
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, thinly sliced
- 2 wholeDried red chillies
- 1 pinchGluten-free asafoetida (hing) (optional)
- 1/2 tspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1/4 cup10 gFresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
Steps
- 1
Rinse the toor dal in several changes of water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain.
- 2
Put the dal, 3 1/2 cups of the water and the turmeric in a large pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
- 3
Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely soft and break down when stirred.
- 4
While the dal simmers, heat 1 tsp of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes until soft and golden.
- 5
Add the ginger and green chilli and cook for 1 minute.
- 6
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they collapse into a thick sauce.
- 7
Whisk the cooked dal lightly to make it creamy, then stir in the onion-tomato mixture, the salt and the remaining 1/2 cup water to reach a pourable consistency. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- 8
For the tadka, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a small pan over medium heat and add the cumin seeds; let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- 9
Add the garlic and dried red chillies and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until the garlic is light golden; take care not to burn it.
- 10
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the asafoetida, if using, and the chilli powder.
- 11
Pour the sizzling tadka over the dal straight away.
- 12
Stir in the lemon juice, scatter over the coriander and serve hot.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use masoor dal (split red lentils) instead of toor dal for a quicker cook, simmering for about 20 to 25 minutes until soft.
- Swap the sunflower oil for ghee in the tadka for a richer flavour, though the dish will no longer be vegan or dairy-free.
- Replace the fresh tomatoes with 3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes if fresh ones are out of season.
- If you can't find asafoetida labelled gluten-free, simply leave it out and add an extra clove of garlic to the tadka.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The dal thickens as it sits, so stir in a splash of water when reheating and heat until steaming hot.
Make ahead
Cook the dal and the onion-tomato base up to 3 days ahead and keep them chilled, then reheat until steaming hot and make the tadka fresh just before serving for the best flavour.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (393 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 237 kcal | 60 kcal |
| Protein | 12.2 g | 3.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38.9 g | 9.9 g |
| of which sugars | 3.1 g | 0.8 g |
| Fiber | 9.2 g | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 4.6 g | 1.2 g |
| of which saturated | 0.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 607 mg | 154 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
