Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style)
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/61f670e4-4376-472e-978c-562c7bb997bb
Original source: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/restaurant-style-dal-tadka/
Recipe image: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dal-tadka-3.jpg

This restaurant-style Dal Tadka recipe is a smooth and creamy lentil dish made with pigeon pea lentils (tur dal), onions, tomatoes and herbs, finished with a tempering of spices like cumin, garlic, dried red chillies, asafoetida and red chilli powder. The dhungar method gives the dal a subtle smoky flavor. It is best served with steamed basmati rice or enjoyed with roti or paratha.
Yield: 4
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT30M

Ingredients
- 1 cup or (200 grams) tuvar dal
- 1 to 2 green chilies (or serrano peppers - chopped or slit lengthwise)
- ½ cup onions (- chopped)
- 1 cup tomatoes (- finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (- finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing), optional)
- 2.5 cups water (- for pressure cooking)
- 1 tablespoon light cream (or low fat cream, optional)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped, (cilantro))
- salt (as required)
- 3 tablespoon oil (or 3 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter))
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves (- finely chopped, small to medium-sized)
- 2 to 3 dry red chilies (- broken and seeds removed)
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida ((hing), optional)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (- crushed, (dry fenugreek leaves), optional)
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro))
- 1 small piece of natural charcoal
- ¼ teaspoon oil (or ghee (clarified butter))

Instructions
1. [Cook lentils] Thoroughly rinse tuvar dal (tur dal) in water. Add them to a 3-litre stovetop 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 adding water as needed.If cooking in a pot, you could add about 3 to 3.5 cups of water.
2. [Cook lentils] Add the chopped onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies and finely chopped ginger.
3. [Cook lentils] Pour 2.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker.
4. [Cook lentils] Add turmeric powder and asafoetida (hing). Mix well.
5. [Cook lentils] Pressure cook the lentils on medium to medium-high heat for about 7 to 8 whistles (about 8 to 10 minutes), or until the lentils become soft and creamy.
6. [Cook lentils] Let the pressure drop naturally in the cooker and then only open the lid. Check the lentils to see if they have cooked thoroughly and softened.
7. [Cook lentils] Mash the cooked lentils with a wired whisk or with a spoon and set aside.
8. [Cook lentils] If the consistency looks thick, add about ½ to 1 cup water (depending on the thickness) to get a medium consistency. Mix again and on a low to medium-low heat simmer dal for 3 to 4 minutes.
9. [Cook lentils] Once the desired consistency is reached, add the light cream or low-fat cream (optional), garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt to taste. Turn off the the heat.
10. [Cook lentils] Mix well so that everything combines to an even consistency. Taste and adjust salt before adding tadka.
11. [Smoke lentils using dhungar method (optional)] To get the smoky flavor of burnt charcoal like you would in a restaurant, you'll want to follow the dhungar method. Using tongs, place a small piece of charcoal on a grill pan like shown in the photo below. Burn the charcoal until it becomes red hot. Please be sure to use natural charcoal for this method, avoiding anything that has a flame accelerant added. Note that this is an optional step - you can proceed directly to the tempering method.
12. [Smoke lentils using dhungar method (optional)] Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. You can also use a halved hollow onion instead of the bowl.
13. [Smoke lentils using dhungar method (optional)] Pour about ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee on the charcoal. You will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal.
14. [Smoke lentils using dhungar method (optional)] Place this bowl on the dal.
15. [Smoke lentils using dhungar method (optional)] Cover the cooker or pot with a lid and let the dal get infused. Only smoke for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not keep for a long time, or you'll risk making the dal taste bitter. Remove the bowl carefully with the help of tongs and cover the cooker with a lid. Set aside.
16. [Make the tempering (tadka or chaunk)] Next, heat oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan over low or medium-low heat.
17. [Make the tempering (tadka or chaunk)] First, add the cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw, but be careful not burn them.
18. [Make the tempering (tadka or chaunk)] Next add the dry red chilies, asafoetida, and finely chopped garlic. Let the garlic brown lightly and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the garlic.
19. [Make the tempering (tadka or chaunk)] Lastly, add the crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne pepper. Mix well and turn off the stove.
20. [Make Dal Tadka] Pour entire tempering mixture along with the oil or ghee into the prepared dal.
21. [Make Dal Tadka] You can either mix the dal with tempering, or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top of it.
22. [Make Dal Tadka] Garnish with coriander leaves.
23. [Serving Suggestions] Serve Dal Tadka hot with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice (cumin rice).
24. [Serving Suggestions] You can also enjoy the dal with roti or paratha.