Indian restaurant style Dal Tadka. This recipe has a great hearty flavors of lentils and ghee tempering along with Indian whole spices. Authentic yet easy recipe that tastes great!
What is Dal Tadka?
Dal is such a classic India dish. A number one on the restaurant menu for Vegetarians and Vegans. "Dal" translates to Lentils and "Tadka" translates to Ghee or Oil tempering along with Indian whole spices. My recipe is adapted from my mother's dal recipe. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and tastes phenomenal! Dal is served with plain rice or Indian flatbread.
What's in this Dal Recipe:
Dal can be cooked with one type of lentil or a combination of multiple lentils. Pigeon Pea lentils (Arhar or Tuver dal), Mung Bean lentil(Mung dal), Red lentils(Masoor ki dal), Chickpea lentil(Chana dal) are all used in dal recipes all over India. My recipe for dal tadka has a combination of Pigeon Pea lentils, Mung Bean lentils and Red lentils. You may purchase the ingredients online. Click here to purchase the ingredients.
- Pigeon Pea Lentils: Arhar ki dal is such a great source of Vegan protein with fiber. Indian stores always carry Arhar daal. I have seen Pigeon pea lentils at Hispanic grocery stores in the dried beans and lentils aisle. Arhar dal is thicker than Mung and Red lentils.
- Mung Bean Lentils: Mung lentils are faster to cook and easy to digest. Always available at any South Asian grocery store.
- Red Lentils: Masoor ki dal is hearty and filling. High in protein with meaty flavor.
- Tomato: Tomato gives great tangy flavor to this recipe.
- Turmeric Powder: Staple for any Indian cooking.
- Ginger & Garlic: Minced ginger and garlic in tempering truly elevates the flavors of Tadka.
- Curry Leaves: The mild and sweet aroma of curry leaves truly elevates the flavors of this dish. South Asian stores always carry fresh curry leaves. Fresh curry leaves freeze well. They stay great for up to 6 months in the freezer. Wash and dry them, put them in between slightly wet paper towels and store them in a freezer bag.
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Onion
How to Cook Dal Tadka?
- Combine ½ cup Pigeon pea lentils(Arhahr dal), ¼ cup Mung dal-lentils, ¼ cup Red lentils(Masoor dal). Rinse the lentils 2 to 3 times until the impurity clears. Soak lentils with enough water to cover for 15 minutes.
- Add soaked lentils, water, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt to an InstantPot or a Pressure Cooker. Pressure cook in an Instant Pot on high setting for 15 minutes with natural steam release.
- Pressure cook on high heat until 2 whistles. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Whisk dal with a whisk or use a hand blender(if needed) until smooth.
- Heat oil in a wok of Tadka sauce pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. Once the oil starts to become cloudy around cumin seeds, add minced onions. Cook until slightly golden. Now add minced ginger and garlic, sauté for few seconds. Add diced tomatoes, whole chilis, dried fenugreek and curry leaves. Cook on low for about a minute or until tomatoes start to break apart.
- Add tadka to cooked dal. Mix well and garnish it with chopped cilantro. Serve it with plain rice or roti.
Storing The Leftovers
Dal tastes great in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and up to 4 weeks in the freezer.
- To Refrigerate: Store dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Dal can be frozen for 6 months. For best taste, It is great to use it within a month. Use heavy duty Ziploc bags and portion the cooled dal halfway through. Do not over fill the bags.
What to serve Dal Tadka with:
We love serving dal tadka with plain Rice, Roti(Indian flatbread), or Garlic Naan.
- Side Dishes to go with dal tadka.
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need:
Dal Tadka | Restaurant Style Dal Tadka Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Slit Pigeon Pea , Arhar or Toor Dal
- ¼ cup Mung Lentils , Mung(Moong) Dal
- ¼ cup Red Lentils , Masoor ki Dal
- 3 cups Water , more to wash and soak the lentils
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin-Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For Tempering
- 2 Tablespoons Ghee or Oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons diced Onion
- 1 teaspoon minced Ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds , Jeera
- 1 teaspoon dried Fenugreek , Kasoori Methi
- 1 medium diced Tomato
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
To Garnish
- A pinch of Garam Masala
- A handful of chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- Combine split Pigeon peas (Arhahr dal), Mung dal-lentils, and Red lentils(Masoor dal). Rinse the lentils 2 to 3 times until the impurity clears. Soak lentils with enough water to cover for 15 minutes.
- Add soaked lentils, water, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder and salt to an InstantPot or a Pressure Cooker. Pressure cook in an Instant Pot on high setting for 15 minutes with natural steam release.
- For pressure cooker cooking, cook on high heat until 2 whistles. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 8-10 minutes. Natural Pressure release.
- Whisk dal with a whisk or use a hand blender(if needed) until smooth.
- Heat oil in a wok or a sauce pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. Once the oil starts to become cloudy around cumin seeds, add minced onions. Cook onions until slightly golden.
- Now add minced ginger and garlic, sauté for a few seconds. Add diced tomatoes, whole chilis, dried fenugreek, Kashmiri chili powder and curry leaves. Cook on low -medium while stirring for about a minute or until tomatoes starts to break apart.
- Add tadka to cooked Dal. If Dal is too thick add ½ cup to a cup of hot water to thin it down. Boil the Dal to reduce the liquid if needed. Garnish it with chopped cilantro and Garam Masala.
- Serve it with plain rice or roti.
Notes
Tried this Recipe? Tag me on Instagram @feastwithsafiya #feastwithsafiya
Mother, Wife, Indian-American born and raised in the small town of India. Former IT employee now a food blogger. A self-taught food photographer.
I choose to cook with Whole Foods and Clean Ingredients as my Mother did. I am a firm believer in cooking meals with lots of vegetables, little meat, and generous spices.
Anonymous says
soo comforting!!