Bhojan Daily

Dal Tadka is an evergreen, popular and classic North Indian lentil dish made with tuvar dal (split pigeon peas) or a mix of lentils, cooked until creamy and infused with a flavorful tempering (tadka) of oil or ghee, cumin, garlic, red chillies and herbs, served hot with rice or roti. Slightly spicy, and deeply flavorful, my Restaurant Style Dal Tadka recipe brings the magic of eating out right into your home. In this step-by-step recipe, I’ll introduce you to the dhungar smoking method to give your traditional lentil curry with the authentic restaurant style taste you crave.

About Dal Tadka Recipe

Dal Tadka is a popular Indian lentil dish – “dal” is the Hindi word for “lentils” and “tadka” (or sometimes ‘chaunk’) means “tempering,” which is a commonly employed cooking method in Indian cuisine.

Tadka – or tempering – is the frying of spices and herbs in oil to release their essential oils, aroma and flavor. Basically it is blooming the spices in fats like oil or ghee.

This infused oil mixture (and all the accompanying whole spices) is added to different dishes like these prepared lentils, and it greatly changes the flavor, aroma and taste of the dish.

Dal Tadka is one of the most popular lentil dish served in Indian restaurants. Basically, dal tadka is a dish of cooked lentils which are tempered with oil- or ghee-fried spices & herbs.

There are so many ways this dish is made in the Indian subcontinent. It has innumerable versions and style – from the kind of lentils used to the type of spices and herbs used for the tadka.

Most Indian households opt for a basic tempering with the commonly available spices and herbs.

Mustard, cumin seeds, green or red chillies, garlic, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilli powder are some of the common tadka ingredients.

What Makes This Recipe Restaurant Style

I have to admit that I simply love the dal tadka that is served at the restaurants, even though we hardly eat out.

Eating out is so expensive, and it’s hard to know if the dishes are prepared with healthful ingredients the way I like to cook at home.

I often challenge myself to recreate the delicious restaurant flavors I crave, but in a manner that I know is good for me and my family.

There are certain methods for creating restaurant favorites, including the tadka method described above.

A huge flavor-making technique comes from smoking the dal using a red-hot charcoal. In the Hindi language, this smoking technique is known as dhungar.

Trust me, this is a very simple method of smoking – it only takes about 3 minutes total! – and it will transform your dal into a masterpiece worthy of even the best restaurants!

As with most Indian dishes, there are many regional variations that exist. This authentic Dal Tadka recipe is more of a North Indian style recipe, relying on a dhaba-style tadka replete with red chilies, chili powder, cumin, asafoetida (hing) and garlic.

What Kind of Lentils Should I Use

Dal is a staple in Indian food. India has so many varieties of dal, with each region and state having their own delicious recipes.

Generally speaking, dal tadka is made with yellow lentils. The most commonly used are tuvar dal (a.k.a. arhar or toor dal), which are split pigeon pea lentils. As such, I use tuvar dal to make this recipe.

That said, some folks like to use Moong Dal, which are split yellow mung bean lentils. This staple Indian lentil preparation can also me made with Chana Dal which is split and hulled bengal gram.

Dal Tadka can be made with a variety of lentil types. At times, I make dal tadka with a mix of both moong dal and tuvar dal. You can also simply use Masoor Dal (split red lentils) or combine it with toor dal.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Dal Tadka

Cook Lentils

1. Thoroughly rinse 1 cup tuvar dal (toor dal, or split & husked pigeon pea lentils) in water. Add them to a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker.

No pressure cooker? You can also cook the lentils in a pot or pan. Soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot.

The method of cooking lentils on the stovetop is mentioned in the notes section of the recipe card below.

2. Add the following ingredients to the lentils in the cooker:

• ½ cup chopped onions
• 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 or 2 green chilies (1 teaspoon of chopped Anaheim pepper or Serrano pepper can be subbed for green chillies)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

3. Pour 2.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker.

If cooking in a pan or pot, then about 3 to 3.5 cups of water can be added.

4. Add ½ turmeric powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).

If you do not have asafoetida, then skip it.

5. Mix well.

6. Pressure cook the lentils on medium to medium-high heat for about 7 to 8 whistles (about 8 to 10 minutes), or until they become soft and creamy.

Once the pressure drops naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid. Check if the lentils have softened really well.

Mash the cooked lentils with a wired whisk or with a spoon and set aside.

If the consistency looks thick, add about ½ to 1 cup water (depending on the thickness) to get a medium flowing consistency.

Simmer the cooked lentils for 3 to 4 minutes on low to medium-low heat. I demonstrate the proper consistency of the lentils in the below photo.

7. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the below listed ingredients and turn off the the heat:

• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 1 tablespoon light cream or low-fat cream (optional)
• salt to taste

8. Mix thoroughly so that everything combines uniformly. Taste and adjust salt before adding tadka.

9. The below photo shows the final consistency of the cooked dal.

Smoke Lentils Using Dhungar Method (Optional)

10. To get the smoky aroma of burnt charcoal like you would in a restaurant, you’ll want to follow the dhungar method.

Using tongs, place a small piece of charcoal on a flame-proof metal grill pan like shown in the photo below. Burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot.

Please be sure to use natural charcoal for this method, avoiding anything that has a flame accelerant added.

Note that this is an optional step – you can proceed directly to the tempering method.

11. Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. You can also use a halved hollow onion instead of the bowl.

12. 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.

13. Place this bowl on the dal.

14. Cover the cooker or pot with a lid and let the dal get infused. Only smoke for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not keep for a long time, or you’ll risk making the dal taste bitter.

Remove the bowl carefully with the help of tongs and cover the cooker with a lid. Set aside.

Make Dal Tadka

15. Next, heat 3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan over low-medium heat.

First, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw, but be careful not burn them.

16. Now add 2 to 3 dry red chilies, a generous pinch of asafoetida, and 5 to 6 medium-sized garlic cloves which have been finely chopped.

Let the garlic brown lightly and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the garlic.

17. Lastly, add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika).

Mix well and turn off the stove.

18. Pour entire tempering along with the oil or ghee into the dal.

19. You can either mix the dal with tempering, or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it.

I personally like the aesthetic of having the tadka floating on top. Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

The tempering adds a lot of flavor, aroma and thus the dal tadka gets paired beautifully with steamed rice or jeera rice (cumin flavored pilaf).

So serve Dal Tadka hot with your choice of steamed Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice, or with Indian flatbreads like Tandoori Roti, Paratha or Chapati.

Expert Tips

Dal tadka is pretty easy to prepare, even in this restaurant style recipe. That said, there are some tips I’ve shared below:

1. Order of Preparation: Be sure to cook the lentils first, and then prepare the tadka right before serving. You can cook the lentils a few hours ahead of time and keep them in the fridge; before serving, reheat them and then temper the spices. Serve immediately. However, for best taste, always prepare the lentils fresh – it not only tastes good, but is also a healthier choice.
2. Type of Lentils: You can make dal tadka with any yellow dal (split lentils). I prefer Tuvar dal (split pigeon pea lentils), or a mix of Tuvar dal and Masoor dal (split red lentils). The lentils may take more or less time to cook depending on their age and freshness. So keep this point in mind.
3. Tomatoes: In the North Indian style, I have added tomatoes to give the lentils a nice tang. If you do not have tomatoes, then add ½ to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice when the lentils are cooked. You can also use drained canned diced tomatoes if you need – just be sure to chop them finely before adding.
4. Tempering Oil: You can temper the spices and herbs in either ghee or a neutral flavored oil. In this recipe I have used sunflower oil, but ghee (clarified butter) also gives a good flavor. Make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low heat, so that you don’t burn them.
5. Dhungar Method: If possible, I highly recommend using this charcoal smoking method as it gives a really good restaurant-style flavor to the lentils. You can easily skip this technique if you do not have charcoal. An alternative way to get that smoky flavor without using dhungar is to add smoked paprika instead of red chilli powder or cayenne pepper.
6. Consistency: The consistency of the cooked dal is neither thick nor thin, but medium. If you prefer, you can opt for a slightly thicker consistency by adding less water, or a thin dal consistency by adding more water.
7. Soaking Lentils: If you soak the lentils for 30 to 40 minutes before cooking them, the cooking time will be faster. I highly recommend this step if you want the lentils to cook faster.

FAQs

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Dal Tadka recipe from the archives was first published on July 2012.