75min 2 ppl
Tarka Dal
40 minutes
2 people
Medium
40 min · 10 steps
Medium: 31–60 min or 7–12 steps
330 kcalper person
Protein 18g
Carbs 48g
Fats 10g
About this dish
Red lentils cooked until silky smooth then crowned with a sizzling tarka of cumin, garlic, and dried chillies — the finishing pour of spiced ghee transforms a simple lentil dish into something deeply aromatic and completely irresistible.
Allergy Info
Dairy
Diet Info
Vegetarian
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Onionlarge, finely diced0.5
- Garlic Clovesthinly sliced2
- Green Chilliesfinely sliced1
- Tomatoesmedium, finely diced1
- Fresh Corianderroughly chopped0.5 small handful
- Lemonjuiced0.25
Dairy & Eggs
- Ghee or Vegetable Oil1.5 tbsp
Dried Goods
- Red Lentilsrinsed150 g
- Water400 ml
Spices & Seasonings
- Ground Turmeric0.5 tsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Cumin Seeds0.5 tsp
- Dried Red Chilliesroughly broken1.5
- Kashmiri Chilli Powder0.25 tsp
- Garam Masala0.25 tsp
Utensils
- Large pan
- Small frying pan
- Wooden spoon
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Fine sieve
Method
1
Rinse the red lentils, finely dice the onion, thinly slice the garlic, finely slice the green chillies, finely dice the tomatoes, and roughly chop the coriander.
Approx. 10 minutes
2
Combine the red lentils, 400ml water, turmeric, and salt in a large pan. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
Approx. 5 minutes
3
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have completely broken down into a smooth, thick purée. Add a splash of water if needed to keep the consistency loose. Season with salt.
Approx. 20 minutes
4
Make the tarka: heat the ghee in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and dried red chillies. Sizzle for 30 seconds.
Approx. 1 minutes
5
Add the sliced garlic and green chillies. Cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden.
Approx. 2 minutes
6
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
Approx. 5 minutes
7
Add the diced tomatoes and Kashmiri chilli powder. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Approx. 3 minutes
8
Stir in the garam masala.
Approx. 1 minutes
9
Pour the tarka over the cooked dal. Stir gently to combine.
Approx. 1 minutes
10
Finish with lemon juice. Serve scattered with fresh coriander.
Approx. 1 minutes
