How to make Dal Tadka (Dal Fry)
Dal tadka or dal tarka is one of the easiest and most popular dal recipes in India. It’s usually made with masoor or toor dal and mashed up with rice to make an easy and tasty meal that’s rich in protein and carbs. While every household makes dal tadka differently, the basic ingredients remain the same – dal cooked and mashed, spices added, and tempered. The tempering is the most important part and even lends name to the dish – tadka means tempering in Hindi.
While this is not a very popular style of making dal in Kerala, I figured this is useful for those who are away from home and looking for a simple dal recipe to satisfy their cravings and comfort their homesickness.
I had used the pictures of this recipe for one of my photography series posts – angles in food photography. Like I mentioned in that post, sometimes the simplest of dishes can make a great meal, like we enjoyed that weekend. I just wanted to jot down the recipe here for those of you looking for a comforting bowl of yellow dal for your dal chawal.
You may also want to check out other popular dal recipes like jeera dal, dal panchratan, and dal makhani. Browse all dal recipes here.
Yellow Dal / Dal Tadka / Dal Fry / How to Make Dal
Ingredients for Dal Tadka:Toor dal – 1 cup(you can also use masoor dal / red lentils)Tomato – 1, cubedTurmeric powder – a pinchAsafoetida / hing – a pinchAmchoor / dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp(if you want it tangy)Sugar – a pinch (optional)Salt – to tasteFor Tempering:Onion – 1/4 cup, chopped fineGarlic – 3 pods crushed (optional)Jeera / cumin seeds – 1 tspDry red chillies – 3 to 4, halvedMustard seeds – 1/4 tspOil – 2 tspFor Garnishing:Chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)How to make Dal Tadka:1. Pressure cook the dal, tomatoes and turmeric powder with 3 cups water. I cook it usually for 4 whistles since it takes longer to cook dal in Singapore. 3 whistles should usually be enough. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, cook in a closed, thick-bottomed pan for about 20-30 mins until the dal is cooked soft.2. Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. Once the mustard seeds start to pop and the onions turn transparent, add the cooked dal.3. Next, add salt, hing, sugar and amchoor and mix well. If the dal is too thick, add some water. If too watery, let it remain on fire for longer until the desired consistency is reached.4. Garnish wtih coriander leaves and serve with steamed white rice, papad and pickles. YUM!
NOTE:
You will see that a lot of ingredients I add are optional. This is because the basic yellow dal recipe is plain and simple with minimum flavours. Customize according to your taste and use just the bare minimum ingredients. It tastes great any which way. Serve hot with rice and and a dollop of ghee.
Thank GOD I found your recipe! We moved to US one week back and I have not made dal myself before except with my MIL and my baby who is half Indian is 100% Indian when it comes to her taste for food… And I want her to stay that way (she does not even touch french fries and hamburgers etc.). 🙂 Her favourite lunch is dal, rice, various vegetables and papad bread.
yum! love dal and rice…but jeeves would never eat dal and rice…he needs sabji in every meal…borrring!!
Its funny isn’t how the dal is transformed into so many different versions, depending on the cook?
I like my dals to be smooth – so I drain the water after cooking, whisk it and then add the water back. Tempering – my rule is only two or max three ingredients at a time – so if I add cumin and hing, then no mustard. If there’s garlic may omit the hing – that way the dal tastes different every time…
The amchur you added is something I haven’t done for quite some time now – should go back to it -thanks!
The word comfort food refers to this 🙂
I loveit!! I love those Indian flavours! My husband & I cook Indian from scratch from time to time! This looks delicious!!! MMMMMM….
looks yummy! Easy and delicious dal.
Feel like eating with hot rice and ghee!! Looks yummy!
the snap looks just great…feel like having the dal right now…
my favourite comfort food..dal chawal!!
mostly i make dhal with mung dhal for rotis. yes, it’s a comfort food and tastes great with rice and ghee.