Daal Tadka is the most popular daal made and served in all the restaurants and dhaba’s in India. Daal tadka is a mix of lentils cooked with tomato and spices and then a final tadka is added as garnish. Usually it is made with a mix of moong daal and arhar/ tuvar daal but you can make it with masoor only or masoor and chana mix or with mix lentils also.
Daal and rice are the staple food of India and in most of the Indian kitchen daal and rice are cooked on daily basis. Usally we make simple moong , arhar and maosor daal .It is served with steamed rice, roti and a simple vegetable stir fry as side dish. these are few lentil preparation which we often make on special days and occasions or order when we go oput for dinner or lunch in some restaurant or dhaba’s.
Ingredients2 cup Yellow Lentil / Moong Daal (dhuli huee)
4 tbsp Pigeon Pea / Tuvar / Arhar ki daal
3 big Tomatoes / Tamatar
1 inch Ginger / Adrak sliced
3 Green Chillies / Hari Mirch slit lengthwise
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
1/2 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1.5 tsp Red Chilli powder / Laal mirch powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder / Dhaniya Powder
To Taste Salt / Namak
1/4 cup Fresh Coriander / Cilantro / Hara Dhaniya
2 tsp Lemon Juice / Nimbu Ka Ras optional
Tadka2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 tbsp Clarified Butter / Desi Ghee
1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder
2 Whole red chilies – 4
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
Method
* Wash the lentils and soak the lentils for approx. 30 minutes.
* Add 2.5 cups of water, turmeric and the soaked lentils then cok in a pan or pressure cook for just for 1 whistle on medium heat.
* When done, open the pressure cooker and add 1.5 cup hot water, mix gently and give it a boil
* Chop tomatoes and ginger in small pieces and slit green chilli lengthwise.
* Heat oil in a pan,then add butter ,now add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
* When cumin start crackling add chopped green chillies,tomato and ginger.
* Add salt and cover and cook, till tomato become soft and mushy.
* Stir and add garam masala,red chili masala, pav bhaji masala and cook ,when oil start separating from the masala then add this masala into the cooked lentils and mix gently.Add a cup of water and cook on medium heat till it start boiling again.
* Now switch off the flame and add fresh coriander and lemon juice
* Pour the prepared daal in the serving bowl.
* Heat 1 tsp ghee and 2 tsp oil in a small pan and add 1/2 tsp cumin,hing and 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder and pour over the prepared daal.
* Serve hot with a spoon of melted ghee or butter on top.
* Serving suggestions-Best served with tandoori roti, naan and jeera rice.