Dal Tadka (Dhaba Style) ~
Dal tadka is a popular North Indian dish of lentils cooked with spices and herbs, and then topped with a spiced oil called tadka. The #tadka is a tempering that adds a burst of flavor to the dish. #DalTadka.
Dhaba style dal tadka recipe | dal fry tadka Dhaba style recipe with detailed photo recipe. Basically an equal proportion of Toor dal and Channa dal cooked together and tempered with hot ghee and spices. it is typically consumed with jeera rice or normal hot steamed rice, however it can also be served with roti and Chapathi’s in all Indian’s house.
Steps to make Dal Tadka:-
- Rinse 1 cup tuvar dal or arhar dal (split & husked pigeon pea lentils) for a couple of times in water. Add them to a 3 litre pressure cooker.
You can also cook the lentils in a pot. Soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot. The method on cooking lentils in a pot is mentioned in the notes section of the recipe card below. - Add ½ cup chopped onions, 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes, 1 or 2 green chilies (1 teaspoon of chopped Anaheim pepper or Serrano pepper can be subbed for green chillies) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
- Pour 2.5 cups of water. If cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups of water can be added.
- Add ½ turmeric powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing). If you do not have asafoetida, then skip it.
- Mix well.
- Pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy. Mash the cooked lentils with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside.
- If the consistency looks thick, then add some water. About ½ cup to 1 cup water (depending on the thickness) to get a medium consistency. Simmer dal for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the desired consistency is reached, add 1 to 2 tablespoons low-fat cream (optional), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt as per paste. Switch off the the heat.
- The final consistency of the cooked dal.
Mking Tadka:-
- Next heat 3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan. First, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw, but don’t burn them.
- Now add 2 to 3 dry red chilies, a generous pinch of asafoetida and 5 to 6 medium sized garlic cloves which have been finely chopped. Let the garlic brown and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the garlic.
- Lastly add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi and ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper. Mix and switch off the stove. Make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low flame, so that you don’t burn them.
- Pour entire tempering along with the oil or ghee into the dal.
- You can mix the dal with tempering or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with steamed basmati rice, cumin rice or with Indian flatbread like roti or paratha or chapati or naan.
- Serves: 1 People
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cooking: 20 min
- Difficulties: supereasy
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
For Cooking
- For Pressure Cooking :-
- ½ cup toor dal washed
- ½ tsp turmeric / haldi
- ½ cup chana dal washed
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp oil
- For Dal Preperation :-
- 1 bay leaf / tej patta
- 1 inch cinnamon stick / dalchini
- 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
- 1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes
- finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric / haldi
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp aamchur powder / dry mango powder
- For Tadka :-
- 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
- 2 clove garlic, finely chopped
- pinch of hing / asafoetida
- 2 dried red chilli
- ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
For Dressing
- Tadka wala ghee and Dhaniya patta
Nutritional Information
Procedure
Notes:
- firstly, use ghee to prepare dal tadka for more dhaba flavours.
- also adding a tsp of oil while pressure cooking dal helps to cook dal easily.
- additionally, add in green chilli for more spicy flavours.
- finally, adjust the consistency of dhaba style dal tadka to your preference.
