Dal Fry Tadka
Dal Fry tadka is a yellow lentil curry soup that is slowly cooked until smooth, thick, and savory. The specialty of this high protein vegetarian dish lies in the "tadka" (or tempering) technique. This is the process of sautéing aromatic spices (garlic, cumin, ginger and dried chilies) with coconut oil or vegetable oil at the end of cooking. Then pour it hot over the dal to lock in the wonderfully fragrant aroma of the spices. It's delicious, healthy, and perfect served warm with sprinkled basmati rice, coriander leaves, and crispy rotinaan or papadun!
Shared by Sharma
Time
35 min
Serves
3
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- One cup (200 grams) of yellow lentils, washed and drained
- 2 cups clean water (for boiling lentils)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt and mushroom stock powder to taste
- One medium sized tomato, finely chopped
- 1/2 finely chopped onion
- One finger length of fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- One tablespoon of vegetable oil or coconut oil for sautéing
- One tablespoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil as a spice topping
- One teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 whole dried red chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or paprika powder (for a beautiful red color)
- One plate of warm basmati rice (garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves)
- A few pieces of papadum (thin Indian crackers) or flatbread
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Boil lentils (Dal): Put the washed yellow lentils into a pan with water, turmeric powder and a little salt. Simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are completely tender and the sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- 2
Stir-fry the spices (Dal Fry): Heat a tablespoon of oil in another pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, chopped garlic, and grated ginger until fragrant and wilted. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until they soften and break down into a paste.
- 3
Combine the dal and stir-fry: Pour the lentil stew (dal) into the pan containing the tomato and onion stir-fry. Stir well, add the mushroom stock powder, and simmer for 3-5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. If it's too thick, add a little warm water to adjust the consistency to your liking. Turn off the heat and pour the dal into a serving bowl.
- 4
Make the spice dressing (Tadka): heat one tablespoon of coconut/vegetable oil in a small saucepan or tadka spoon over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds, sliced garlic, and dried red chilies. Stir-fry quickly for 30 to 45 seconds, until the garlic is lightly browned and the cumin seeds are fragrant. Turn off the heat, then add the red chili powder (stir quickly so it doesn't burn)
- 5
Pour the Tadka: immediately pour the hot tadka oil over the surface of the Dal in the serving bowl. You will hear a distinctive hissing sound and smell the very fragrant aroma of spices.
- 6
To serve: Serve warm Dal Fry Tadka on a serving plate with basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and crispy papadum pieces. Enjoy!