This restaurant style dal tadka is a smooth and creamy dal tempered with Indian spices with a smoky charcoal flavor.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time30 mins
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
▢1 cup tuvar dal (arhar dal or split pigeon pea lentils) or 200 grams or ½ cup tuvar dal + ½ cup masoor dal (split pink lentils)
▢1 to 2 green chilies or serrano peppers – chopped or slit lengthwise
▢½ cup chopped onions or 1 medium sized onion
▢1 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 2 medium sized tomatoes
▢1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped
▢½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
▢½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
▢1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
▢2.5 cups water – for pressure cooking
▢1 or 2 tablespoon low-fat cream – optional
▢2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
▢salt as required for Tempering Or Tadka
▢3 tablespoon oil or 3 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
▢1 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢5 to 6 medium garlic cloves – finely chopped
▢2 to 3 dry red chilies – broken and seeds removed
▢a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing) – optional
▢1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – optional
▢ ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or paprika For Garnish
▢1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)For Dhungar Method
▢a small piece of charcoal
▢¼ teaspoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)
METHOD
Cooking Lentils: Rinse the lentils and add them to a 3 litre pressure cooker. You can also cook the lentils in a pot.
Just soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot.
To the lentils, add chopped onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger.Add water. If cooking in a pot, then about 3 to 3.5 cups of water can be added.
Add turmeric powder and asafoetida. Mix very well. Pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy.
Mash the cooked lentils with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. If the consistency looks thick, then add some water to get a medium consistency.
Then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Once the desired consistency is reached, add low-fat cream (optional), garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves and salt.
Switch off the heat. Mix well so that everything combines uniformly. Check salt before you add the tempering. If the salt is less than add more salt.
Dhungar Method (Optional)Next is the dhungar method of flavoring the lentils with the smoky fumes of burnt charocal.
For this with the help of tongs or on a grill pan, place the a small piece of charcoal like shown in the stepwise photo guide in the post. Burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot.
Please use natural charcoal for this method. Note that this is an optional step and you can proceed directly to the tempering method.
Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. Pour about ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee on the charcoal. You will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal.
Place this bowl on the dal. Cover the cooker or the pot with a lid and let the dal get infused with the charcoal smoke. Just keep for 1 to 2 minutes.
Do not keep for a longer time as the dal may turn bitter. Remove the bowl carefully with the helps of tongs and cover cooker with a lid. Set aside.
Making The Tempering (Tadka Or Chaunk)Next heat oil or ghee in a small pan. First add cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw but don't burn them.
Now add red chilies, asafoetida and chopped garlic. Let the garlic brown and the red chilies change color.Lastly add kasuri methi and red chili powder.
Mix and switch off the heat. Make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low flame, so that you don't burn them.
Pour the entire tempering mixture into the dal.You can mix the dal or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. Garnish it with coriander leaves.
Serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice (cumin rice) or with roti or naan or paratha.
Nutrition Facts Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style Recipe)
Amount Per Serving Calories 213
Calories from Fat 135%
Daily Value*Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 4g 25%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 60mg 3%
Potassium 303mg 9%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Fiber 4g 17%
Sugar 2g 2%
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 630IU 13%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg 67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg 59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg 50%
Vitamin B12 1µg 17%
Vitamin C 9 mg11%
Vitamin D 1µg 7%
Vitamin E 5 mg 33%
Vitamin K 5µg 5%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 56µg 14%
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 29mg 7%
Phosphorus 77mg 8%Zinc 1mg 7%*
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.