Dal Tadka is our nation’s favorite dal that is preferred and loved by everyone. I have not met a single person who denies this fact. The humble Dal Tadka is also one of the most frequented ordered dal in restaurants after Dal Makhani. Its popularity is mainly because of its simplicity, and easy to cook common staple recipes in the Indian kitchen.

Dal is commonly made in all Indian households on a daily basis. Everybody has their own style and method of preparing dal. Each state has its different preparations, In Gujurat we prepare it sweet, in the North, they prepare it sour and in the South, they prepare it flavourful Sambhar.

But when we talk about Dal Tadka, that is lentils with temper, is usually not made on a daily basis. We make it occasionally and usually we relish it with steam rice and chapati, a portion of absolute comfort food for Indians.

This recipe of restaurant-style Dal Tadka is a simple recipe but elevates the taste of normal Toor dal to another level. It makes the dal even tastier and lip-smacking.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup Dal, Arhar dal, Toor dal

1/4th cup Yellow moong dal

1 tbsp Sunflower Oil

1 medium-size Onion, finely chopped

1 medium-size Tomato. finely chopped

1 tsp minced Garlic

1 tsp ginger chili paste

1 finely chopped green chili

a handful of finely chopped coriander

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander /dhania powder

1 tsp garam masala

2-3 drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

For Tadka:

2 tsp Desi ghee

1 tsp hing /asafoetida

1 tsp cumin/jeera

2-3 dry red chili

Step By Step images of making Dal Tadka

Method:

Wash lentils with water and soak it for 15 minutes.
Boil the lentils in the pressure cooker till 3-4 whistles on a slow flame. Add salt and turmeric powder while boiling. After the whistles leave it aside and let it cool completely.
Meanwhile, chop onion, tomato, coriander, minced garlic and keep it aside.
Take a heavy bottom pan and heat oil on medium heat and once its hot add cumin seeds, once it splutters add green chilies and hing.
Now add onions and saute it for a minute till it turns light brown, now add minced garlic and tomatoes, salt as much as it requires in the tadka as we have already added salt in the lentils while boiling.
Cook for 5-6 minutes till the tomatoes get mushy.
Now add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and cook for another 1 minute till all the masala gets mixed and cooked properly.
Open the pressure cooker and add the soft dal in the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes on a low flame stirring it in between so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Garnish it with freshly chopped, squeeze 3-4 drops of fresh lemon juice and Dal tadka is ready to serve with jeera rice, steam rice or chapati.
The last step is optional, You can temper it with ghee, cumin seeds, dry red chili, and red chili powder tadka on the top of dal just before serving it.