Dal Tadka

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Masoor dal (red lentils)
• 1/4 cup chana dal (bengal gram)
• 1/4 cup split yellow mung dal (yellow split mung beans)
• 2 onions (6oz each (1 for fried onion as garnish))
• 1 red tomato (6 oz)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and garlic
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 2 small bay leaves
• 2 green chili (trim the edges or finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 teaspoon dagar ka phool (stone flower - optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the lentils in multiple change of water and then boil the dal with little salt.

2. 2

   If you are using fried onion as garnish, then thinly slice one red onion and deep-fry in medium hot oil, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Keep aside once done.

3. 3

   Once the dal is boiled, finely chop 1 onion and finely chop 1 tomato.

4. 4

   In a heavy bottom pan, pour the oil and when it heats up add the chopped onion along with ginger garlic finely chopped. Season with salt, add the turmeric and rest of ground spices. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the onion is softened.

5. 5

   Then add the tomato and continue cooking until it's softened.

6. 6

   Pour the boiled dal and mix it around. Do not whisk too much. You want the dal to have little texture, and the consistency should be thick.

7. 7

   At this point, if you want to smoke your dal with charcoal, you can do that step (read the details in notes below)

8. 8

   Layer the fried onion on the dal.

9. 9

   To prepare the tadka, take a small pan and add the ghee. Once the ghee warms, add the spices (except chili powder) mentioned under tadka, including the ginger and garlic. Let it sizzle for a few seconds.

10. 10

    Switch off the heat and mix the kashmiri chili to the smoking hot tadka.

11. 11

    Let it sizzle for a couple seconds, and then drizzle the tadka all over the daal. Garnish with some chopped cilantro leaves and enjoy the daal with rice or bread.