Tofu Dal Tadka

4.75 from 4 votes

This tofu dal tadka has creamy cubes of tofu in a deliciously spiced dal. It is loaded with 30 grams of protein and tastes great with rice or roti.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: high-protein, tofu dal tadka, vegan anda dal

Servings: servings

Calories: 430kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Cost: $6.90 per recipe/$1.75 per serving

Equipment

Pressure cooker or Instant Pot or saucepan for cooking lentils
Skillet or pot
Small skillet (for tadka)

Ingredients

For cooking dal

½ cup masoor dal (red lentils)
½ cup toor dal (yellow 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. If pressure cooking, allow pressure to release naturally or force-release after 10 minutes before opening the cooker.
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.

Gluten-free guidance: Pure asafetida is gluten-free but most commercial powdered asafetida contains wheat flour as an anti-caking agent. If you are gluten-free shop for brands that are gluten-free certified, or skip this ingredient.

Timing includes cooking the lentils and the subsequent simmering steps. Prepare the onion-tomato mixture while the lentils cook to save time. For pressure-cooker methods, allow additional time to reach pressure and release pressure; tofu pressing, if needed for the extra-firm option, is also additional.

Nutrition