Dal Tadka

A classic Indian Dal Tadka recipe. A blend of three lentils is seasoned with a few simple spices for the most flavorful dal. This is a vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.

In our home, we love a good dal recipe, and Dal Tadka is one that gets made very, very often.

There is absolutely nothing about this dish that you won't love. It's creamy and comforting, and has just that little bit of fire from the garlic and depth from the tomatoes.

Top all of this amazing goodness with a "tadka" or tempering of vegetable oil and mustard, and you have a recipe for comforting deliciousness.

Better, you can have this dish from stove to table in no time at all, especially if you have a handy pressure cooker to cook the heck out of the lentils.

What is "tadka"?

A tadka in Hindi is the tempering that most Indian recipes almost anywhere in India either start or end with. You heat oil, add a few spices, let the spices roast and bloom and, sometimes, crackle and sputter. Then you add this hot, flavored oil to the rest of the recipe to magnify its deliciousness.

A tadka can change the flavor profile of your recipe entirely, so it is an extremely valuable tool in a cook's arsenal. In this dal tadka, it really makes the magic happen.

How to make an authentic dal tadka

Each cook has his or her own special tweaks and twists for a tadka dal. Some use one kind of lentils in the dal, others use two or three or four. Some add tomatoes, others don't. Some finish with a flourish of tangy mango powder or aamchur, others add a tiny amount of sugar for flavor. Some add garlic, some ginger, others both. The variations go on and on.

My version is quite simple, but it's also incredibly delicious. I use a mix of three lentils, but you can just use one or the other, or a mix of two. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules here.

The rules of thumb are also quite simple:

• Make sure you cook the lentils really well. In most dals, with very few exceptions, you want the lentils to become really creamy and not appear distinct. Nothing is less appetizing to me than a thick, gloppy dal with every lentil standing apart. Dal has to be soupy and even thin, unless the recipe specifically says otherwise, (like in a cholar dal or a panchmel dal, where the lentils add texture).
• If you cook dal often, you should invest in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, which will make the entire process go by much more smoothly and quickly than cooking dal in a saucepan on the stovetop and give you the right texture.
• For the tadka, always ensure the oil is very hot before you start adding in the spices. Use an oil with a high burning point, like peanut oil or sunflower oil or canola oil or avocado oil. Refined coconut oil, which is flavorless, is acceptable in this recipe. Never, ever use olive oil in Indian cooking. Just don't.
• When you add mustard seeds to the hot oil, they should begin to sputter and crackle instantly. Make sure they do sputter before adding other ingredients, otherwise they will add a bitter note to the dal.

What to serve with the dal tadka

Serve this Dal Tadka with rice or roti and a vegetable side like this Easy Pepper Mushroom Stir-Fry or this Cauliflower Curry with Potatoes or this 15-minute Shredded Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry.

It is also delicious with Jeera Rice.

Looking for more dal recipes?

• South Indian Green Tomato Dal
• Dhabay ki Daal
• 10-minute Vegan Dal with Basic Tomato Onion Sauce
• Vegan Dal Makhani
• Instant Pot Masoor Dal

Dal Tadka Recipe

Dal Tadka Recipe

A warm, comforting Dal Tadka, or lentils with a tempering of spices that's perfect food as the weather cools down. This is a creamy, comforting dish with the warmth of garlic and spices and the pleasant tanginess of tomatoes.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Side

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Dal Tadka, Indian Dal Tadka, Tadka Dal

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients

• ½ cup tuvar dal (split pigeon peas)
• ½ cup masoor dal (pink lentils)
• ½ cup moong dal (split mung lentils)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp asafetida or hing (optional)
• 2 dry red chilies
• 4 large cloves garlic, (crushed into a paste or finely minced)
• 1 large tomato (finely diced)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp amchur or mango powder (this adds a special flavor, but if you absolutely don't have it, use 2 tbsp lemon juice)
• 2 tbsp cilantro (or mint, minced)

Instructions

• Combine, wash and cook the lentils with the turmeric, preferably in a pressure cooker. If cooking on a stovetop, cover with an inch of water, bring to a boil, slap on a lid, keep on the lowest setting for the lentils to just simmer, and cook for 30-45 minutes or until the lentils are really soft and easily mushed up. Add more water during the cooking if necessary.
• In a saucepan, heat the oil.
• Add the mustard seeds, red chillies and asafetida.
• When the mustard seeds crackle and sputter, add the garlic and stir-fry until the garlic browns. Don't let it burn-- stir constantly.
• Add the tomato and cook for a few minutes or until the tomato breaks down.
• Add the lentils and water, if needed. You want the dal to be runny but not too watery. This is a matter of personal preference, though, so if you like your dals thick, feel free to use less water. Keep in mind that dals do thicken on standing.
• Bring the lentils to a boil and let them cook for a few minutes.
• Add the sugar and salt and aamchur and stir to mix.
• Add the cilantro, mix well, and turn off the heat.
• Serve hot with rice or parathas or roti.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.9g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 1.5g | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 2.1g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg

Love this Dal Tadka recipe? Check out more vegan dal recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!