Tadka Dal

Name: Tadka Dal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Asia — Muslim traditions
Ingredients: 2 inches piece fresh ginger; 6 garlic cloves; 0.5 cup ghee; 2 yellow onions; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp turmeric; 1.5 cup red lentils; salt; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp whole cumin seed; 2 thai green chilies

Gently simmered lentils, coriander and thai green chilies, warmed with ginger and cayenne, a South Asian dal.

55 min · Serves 4 · Medium

Method

Start cooking mode

Time: Prep 10 min · Cook 45 min · 55 min total
Difficulty: medium

1
In a blender, process ginger and garlic with 1/4 cup water until smooth. In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until well-browned, about 20 minutes.
20 min
2
Add ginger-garlic puree, cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric. Cook until nearly dry, about 5 minutes.
5 min
3
Add lentils and 4 cups water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
20 min
4
In a large skillet, heat the remaining ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and sliced chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard seeds pop, about 2 minutes.
2 min
5
Serve bowls of the lentils with the spiced ghee on top.