Tarka Dal
Author: 
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup uncooked masoor dal (split red lentils)
  • 1 medium size tomato, finely diced
  • ½ jalapeno chili or serrano chili, finely minced (optional)
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon dhana jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • 1 ½ cups of water
For Tarka (tempering):
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ medium size yellow or red onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 2-3 dry red chili
  • Pinch of red chili powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon garam masala
Directions
  1. Rinse dal and transfer to medium size soup pot. Add 1 ½ cups of water and let dal soak for 30 to 40 minutes. (Soaking is optional but it will speed up cooking).
  2. Add tomato, cover the pot with a lid, and cook dal for about 45 minutes or until dal is cooked.
  3. After dal is cooked, start heating dal on a medium heat. Add salt, turmeric, and dhana jeeru, green chili and ginger. Mix well. Let dal simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a separate small sauce or frying pan, heat oil on a medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic, onion, garam masala and sauté them until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add whole chili and chili powder and sauté it for one minute and pour everything on top of the dal. Stir the dal and let it simmer for one minute. Add lemon juice and let it simmer for two more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
  5. To cook dal in instant pot: Follow step one. Set instant pot on sauté setting for 20 minutes. Heat oil until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add garlic, onion, green chili, garam masala and sauté them until onion is light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add whole chili and chili powder and sauté it for one minute. Add tomato and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour dal over Tarka and add salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru and lemon juice. Add ½ cup water. Set instant pot to pressure cooker setting and cook dal for 20 minutes. (for unsoaked dal increase time to 30 minutes). Release steam and set instant pot to sauté setting for 10 minutes. (Optional: Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in small frying pan or soup pot until shimmering. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add pinch of chili powder and pour over dal. This will enhances flavor of dal). Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or as a soup.
Recipe by Lovely Masala at http://www.lovelymasala.com/recipe-gujarati-dhali-dal/