Dal tadka — yellow toor dal topped with a ghee tadka of cumin, garlic and dried red chilli in a clay pot

North Indian · Main course

Dal Tadka

दाल तड़का · Dal Tadka · Tempered Toor Dal

Dal tadka is a North Indian lentil dish finished with spices fried in hot fat. Pressure-cook toor dal with turmeric, simmer it with a tomato and onion base, then pour over a tadka of cumin, garlic and dried chilli in A2 ghee. Serve it while the tempering is still fragrant.

Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Makes
4 bowls
  • vegetarian
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By Organic Mandya Kitchen ·

Dal tadka is familiar at North Indian tables with jeera rice or roti. The name describes the final pour of hot, spiced ghee over cooked dal. At home, the dal can go into the pressure cooker while the onions and tomatoes cook in a separate pan. The final tempering takes only a minute, so it is worth waiting until everyone is ready to eat. Whole cumin and dried chilli scent the ghee quickly. Thinly sliced garlic adds texture and turns golden before it goes over the soft, lightly mashed dal.

Ingredients

  • 190 g (about 1 cup)Toor dal Organic MandyaRinse well.
  • 750 ml (3 cups)Water for pressure-cookingKeep below the cooker fill limit for pulses.
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup)Hot water for adjusting the dalUse as much as needed.
  • 1 g (about 1/2 tsp)Ground turmeric Organic Mandya
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp)Cold-pressed groundnut oil Organic MandyaFor the onion and tomato base.
  • 80 g (about 1/2 cup, chopped)Onion Organic Mandya
  • 120 g (about 3/4 cup, chopped)Tomato Organic Mandya
  • 6 g (about 1 tsp)Fine table salt
  • 18 g (about 4 tsp)A2 ghee Organic MandyaFor the tadka.
  • 2 g (about 1 tsp)Cumin seeds Organic Mandya
  • 8 g (about 2 tsp, sliced)Garlic Organic Mandya
  • 2 g (about 1 tbsp, broken)Dried Byadagi chilli Organic MandyaRemove the stalks.
  • 4 g (about 1 tbsp, chopped)Fresh coriander leaves Organic Mandya

Method

  1. Rinse the dal

    Rinse the toor dal in cool water until it runs mostly clear.

  2. Pressure-cook the dal

    Pressure-cook the dal, turmeric and measured cooker water for about 12 minutes on low after the cooker reaches full pressure.

    ⏱ 12 min

  3. Release pressure naturally

    Leave the cooker off the heat until the pressure indicator drops, about 10 minutes.

    ⏱ 10 min

  4. Sauté the onion

    Sauté the onion in the groundnut oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until lightly golden.

    ⏱ 4 min

  5. Cook the tomato base

    Cook the tomato and salt with the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the tomato breaks down.

    ⏱ 5 min

  6. Mash the dal

    Mash the hot dal lightly with the back of a ladle until most grains break up.

  7. Simmer the dal

    Simmer the mashed dal with the tomato base over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, adding some of the measured hot water if needed for a pourable consistency.

    ⏱ 5 min

  8. Fry the cumin

    Fry the cumin in the hot A2 ghee over medium heat for about 20 seconds, until it sizzles.

    ⏱ 20 sec

  9. Fry the garlic and chilli

    Fry the sliced garlic and dried chilli in the cumin ghee for 30–45 seconds, until the garlic just turns pale gold.

    ⏱ 40 sec

  10. Pour over the tadka

    Pour the hot tadka over the simmered dal immediately.

  11. Finish with coriander

    Scatter the coriander over the dal before serving.

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Tips

  • Start the tomato base while the dal cooks to overlap the timings.
  • Keep the garlic pale gold in the pan because it continues to darken in hot ghee.
  • Thin the dal a little before serving if it will sit for several minutes.

Serving

Serve with jeera rice or hot rotis. Offer a wedge of lemon at the table if you like a brighter finish.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled dal in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat until hot throughout and loosen with a splash of water if it has thickened.

Variations

  • Use half toor dal and half split yellow moong dal for a softer texture.
  • Add a little finely chopped ginger while cooking the onion base.

Nutrition per serving

Energy255 kcal
Protein11.3 g
Carbohydrates34.3 g
Fat8.9 g
Fibre8.2 g

Approximate, calculated from the ingredients and divided by the stated servings.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between dal tadka and dal fry?

Dal tadka is usually finished by pouring freshly tempered spices over cooked dal. In dal fry, the boiled dal is typically simmered with a fried onion and spice base. Home versions overlap, and this recipe uses both a tomato base and a final ghee tadka.

Can I make dal tadka without a pressure cooker?

Yes. Simmer rinsed toor dal in a covered saucepan until the grains crush easily, checking the water level as it cooks. Add hot water as needed to keep the dal submerged. Older dal can take longer to soften than a fresh batch.

Why is my garlic tadka bitter?

Garlic browns quickly in hot ghee and can taste bitter once it turns dark. Slice it evenly, add it after the cumin sizzles and take the pan off the heat as soon as the slices turn pale gold. Pour immediately.

Can I prepare dal tadka ahead of time?

Cook the dal and the tomato base ahead, cool them and refrigerate together. Reheat the dal just before the meal, adding water if it has thickened. Make the ghee tadka at serving time so the cumin and garlic still smell fresh.

How thick should dal tadka be for rice?

It should pour from a ladle in a steady stream and lightly coat the rice. If it sits in a mound, add hot water a spoonful at a time. Simmer briefly after thinning so the dal and water come together.

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