Plain dal is where good ingredients show. There’s nowhere for a dull turmeric or stale ghee to hide. We cook this with every turmeric we review, the same way each time, so the only thing that changes is the spice.
Kashmiri chilli is here for colour more than heat. If you like it hotter, add a slit green chilli to the tadka.
Everyday tadka dal
Prep 10 minCook 25 minServes 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chillies
- A pinch of hing
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Pressure-cook the dal with water, turmeric and salt for 3 whistles. Let the pressure drop on its own.
- Whisk until smooth, loosen with hot water, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin; when it sizzles, add the dried chillies and hing for 10 seconds.
- Turn off the heat, stir in Kashmiri chilli, and pour the tadka over the dal. Finish with lemon.
What we cooked this with
- Turmeric: Meghvan Lakadong (8.9/10)
- Ghee: Gir Pastures A2 Bilona (8.4/10)
- Chilli: Sonmitti Kashmiri Chilli (8.2/10)
- Dal: Bhoomika Unpolished Toor (8.0/10)