I created this tofu dal tadka recipe to bump up the protein in my meals, and I'm in love. The dal is simply spiced but full of flavor, and it's punctuated with golden slivers of garlic and creamy cubes of tofu. If you love tofu in Indian recipes, this is a must-try!
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What is tofu dal tadka?
Tofu dal tadka is my vegan take on a popular dhaba-style north Indian dish of eggs and lentils called anda dal tadka. It marries two delicious plant-based foods - lentils and tofu - with a simple base of tomatoes, onions and aromatics, including ginger, garlic and a few spices.
I created this dish as part of my ongoing effort to create 100 percent plant-based and protein-rich meals that everyone in the family will enjoy, because eating enough protein is important for good health at every stage in life. Indian dals or lentils are already very healthy and form a complete protein when eaten with grains like rice or wheat. A serving of dal by itself has around 10 grams of protein and you can bump it up to around 13 grams when you serve it with ½ cup basmati rice. This is very high quality protein, but if you're looking to get enough protein in your diet it can fall short.
The tofu in this dal makes up for that shortfall, and you get 30 grams of protein per serving as well as 13 grams fiber.
I love that I can make this tofu dal on weeknights. There's very little chopping involved, I don't need to blend anything up, and once I have the lentils already cooked, it comes together in minutes.
For the dal, I combined two lentils: masoor dal or red lentils, and toor dal or yellow pigeon peas. This combination results in the best flavor and texture but you can substitute with the lentils you have (see the ingredient notes in recipe card below).
The dal is vegan, gluten-free and nut-free. If you are eating low-carb, you might also enjoy my recipe for low-carb coconut dal made with real lentils.
Recipe card
Tofu Dal Tadka
Ingredients
For cooking dal
- ½ cup masoor dal (red lentils)
- ½ cup toor dal (yellow split peas or pigeon peas)
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
Other ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (or paprika for less heat)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
For tadka
- 2 tablespoons oil (you can use less)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (or paprika)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 16 oz high protein tofu (or extra firm tofu with water pressed out. Cut the tofu in ½-inch cubes)
Instructions
Cook dal
- Place both lentils in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot liner or saucepan. Add the water and turmeric. Pressure cook or cook for three whistles, or 10 minutes in the Instant Pot, or about 20-30 minutes on stove top until the lentils are very soft and break down easily.
- Whisk the cooked lentils until creamy and set aside.
Make dal
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt. Saute the onions until they begin to brown.
- Add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and cilantro to the pan and saute for a few minutes until the tomatoes are very pulpy and soft.
- Add the powdered spices - ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne or paprika and a teaspoon of garam masala - to the tomato onion sauce in the pot. Mix in for about 30 seconds.
- Pour the cooked lentils into the pot and mix. The dal should be thick but still quite runny.
- Cover the dal and bring it to a boil over medium low heat. Turn heat to low, cover the pan, and let the dal cook 10 more minutes. Add salt to taste.
Make tadka
- Heat the oil for tadka in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mustard seeds and asafetida. When the mustard crackles and sputters, add the cayenne or paprika, garlic and ½ teaspoon garam masala. Mix.
- Add the tofu cubes to the skillet and mix. Let the tofu cubes saute in the oil until they form a light crust.
- Pour the tadka along with all oil and tofu cubes into the dal. Mix and simmer the dal for five more minutes. Serve the dal hot.
Notes
- If the dal is too thick for your liking, feel free to add more water. Always check if you need more salt after adding water.
- The dal will thicken upon standing. When you reheat, add more water if needed.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
How to make tofu dal tadka
Cook lentils
Place the masoor dal and toor dal along with turmeric in a pressure cooker/Instant Pot liner/saucepan. Add three cups water and cook until very tender. Whisk the lentils until creamy,
Sauté tomatoes and onions
Heat oil and add the onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté until they begin to brown, then add
tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and cilantro to the pan. Cook until the tomatoes are very pulpy and soft.
Add spices
Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne or paprika and a teaspoon of garam masala.
Add lentils and salt
Pour in the cooked lentils. Cover and bring it to a boil over medium low heat. Simmer dal over low heat for 10 more minutes. Add salt to taste.
Make tadka
Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add mustard seeds and asafetida. When the mustard crackles and sputters, add garlic, cayenne or paprika and ½ teaspoon garam masala. Add the tofu cubes to the skillet and mix. Let the tofu cubes saute in the oil until they form a light crust.
Add tadka to dal
Pour the tadka along with all oil and tofu cubes into the dal. Mix and simmer the dal for five more minutes.
Tofu dal tadka FAQs
You can substitute the toor dal with moong dal or yellow split moong lentils. Or use only one dal - either masoor dal or toor dal would work nicely.
Serve the tofu dal with basmati rice or quinoa. When I am watching my carbs I serve it with cauliflower rice. You can also eat the dal with roti or high protein roti.
On the side serve a vegetable side or sabzi like easy cabbage curry or okra stir fry or potato masala.
You can refrigerate the dal for up to four days. If you freeze the dal the tofu will become porous and change texture. The dal can be frozen for up to three months but I recommend freezing the dal alone, before adding the tofu tadka. Thaw and heat the dal and add the tofu tadka before serving.
Absolutely. The dal is similar to my tomato dal recipe and you can serve it by itself, without the tofu tadka.
Martha V says
This was divine. I am watching my protein and now doing so is more delicious thanks to you dear Vaishali. Keep the recipes coming.
Steven Mark says
Overall I'd give the recipe 4 stars. The taste was very good ,and on the spicy side which I like but the instructions were off. First in making the lentils and toor dal it says add the lentils, toor dal, water and salt, but there is no salt listed in the ingredients. There is turmeric so that's what I added. Then in cooking the dal and lentils, they were done after 30 minutes but it was not thick. The dal and lentils were swimming in water. Three cups of water were too much. I cooked it with the lid on the pot, though instructions don't specify. Finally, in the ingredients for the tadka, it lists garlic but in cooking the tadka it never says to add in the garlic which of course I did. So yes the dish turned out quite well but the errors in the recipe should be corrected
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Steven, I am glad you liked the tofu dal but sorry if the instructions were confusing. I've tried to clarify further and added in the garlic, which I did miss, although I hope the photos helped explain when to add it. About cooking the lentils on the stove top, it is fine to cover with a lid but the water should evaporate a bit as the lentils cook and also the lentils should absorb a lot of it. Perhaps start with two cups water next time and top up with more as needed.
Tina Bailey says
I love allllll of your recipes!!!!! Every time a new one pops up in my email, I immediately transfer it to my cookbook!!!
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Tina, thanks for the sweet message!