Tarka Dal


Tarka or "tadka" is a process of cooking in which spiced butter is used to season a dish. This is a classic, comforting lentil dish.


You will need

* 300 g red dal or lentils
* 850 ml water
* 1 tsp turmeric
* ¼ tsp ground coriander
* 30 g butter
* ¼ tsp cumin seeds
* ¼ tsp asafoetida
* 1 medium onion
* 2 cloves garlic
* ¼ tsp chilli powder
* ½ tsp garam masala
* 15-20 g of fresh coriander leaves
* 1 frying pan
* 1 spatula
* 1 sharp knife
* 1 teaspoon

Step 2:
Lentils
Put 300g of red dal into a sieve, and rinse with cool water under a tap, until the water runs almost clear. Bring 850ml of water to the boil in a non-stick pan, and add the lentils. Then, straight away add a teaspoon of turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander. Stir, then leave to bubble gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft, and the water is frothy. Stir occasionally.

Step 3:
Chop
Cut the ends off a medium onion, and finely chop.

Crush 2 cloves of garlic slightly. Remove the skin, and finely chop.

Step 4:
Spice the butter
Over a medium heat, melt 30g of butter in a non-stick frying pan. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and about a 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida.

Step 5:
Onion and garlic
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the frying pan, and fry until the onion starts to brown. This will take about 6 minutes.

Step 6:
More spice
Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder. Keep stirring.

Step 7:
Lentils
Add the boiled lentils to the pan. Keep frying for another 3-4 minutes. The lentils will absorb the flavours of the butter and spices.

Step 8:
Garam Masala
Add half a teaspoon of Garam Masala, and stir. Take the pan off the heat.

Step 9:
Serve
Top the dal with a knob of butter, and scatter some fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

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