Easy Tarka Dhal Recipe Restaurant Style

DAL TADKA (TARKA DAAL)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large lidded pot over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft but not browned.
• Stir in the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, garam masala and chili flakes and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
• Rinse the chana dal well until the water runs clear, then add it into the pot, along with the water. Stir well and bring to the boil. If any froth forms, skim it off with a spoon.
• Put the lid onto the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a little more water so it doesn't scorch. Stir in the salt.
• When the dal is just about finished cooking, make the tadka.
• First, prepare/measure all of the tadka ingredients.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium/low heat. Once it's very hot, add the cumin, mustard seeds and chili. It will quickly (in less than a minute) crackle and pop. It's ready!
• Pour the oil and spices (tarka) over the dal and stir in or serve on top. Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander/cilantro alongside rice or naan bread.

A FANTASTIC TARKA DHAL RECIPE

Steps:

• Pour about 400ml of water over your lentils in a sauces pan and simmer over medium high heat until tender. Remove any foam that forms on the top. Cooking the lentils should take about 25 minutes.
• While your lentils are cooking, melt the ghee in a frying pan and add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
• Stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until browned.
• Add the chopped garlic, garam masala and turmeric and stir it into the hot ghee..
• Pour the most of the ghee mixture (the tarka) over the lentils and stir it all in. Leave some to garnish.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with the remaining tarka.

DAL TADKA (RESTAURANT STYLE RECIPE)

Steps:

• 1. Thoroughly rinse 1 cup tuvar dal (arhar dal, or split & husked pigeon pea lentils) in water. Add them to a 3-litre pressure cooker.No pressure cooker? You can also cook the lentils in a pot. Soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot.
• 2. Add 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) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
• 3. Pour 2.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker. If cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 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 for about 7-8 whistles, or until 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 about ½ - 1 cup water (depending on the thickness) to get a medium consistency. Simmer dal for 3 to 4 minutes.
• 7. Once the desired consistency is reached, add 1-2 tablespoons low-fat cream (optional), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt to taste. Switch off the the heat.
• 8. Mix well so that everything combines uniformly. Taste and adjust salt before adding tadka.
• 10. To get the smoky fumes 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 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 tsp 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 1-2 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.
• 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 5-6 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 (fenugreek seeds) and ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper. 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 Suggestion: Serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice (cumin rice), or with roti, naan or paratha.

TARKA DHAL

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils several times until the water runs clear, then tip into a saucepan with 1 litre water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 mins, skimming the froth from the top. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 40 mins, stirring occasionally, until it's a thick, soupy consistency.
• While the lentils are cooking, heat the ghee or oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then fry the onion and garlic until the onion is softened, so around 8 mins. Add the turmeric and garam masala, then cook for a further minute. Set aside.
• Tip the lentils into bowls and spoon half the onion mixture on top. Top with the coriander and tomato to serve.