Dal tadka with steamed rice
The everyday yellow dal: toor dal pressure-cooked soft and finished with a tadka of ghee, jeera, garlic, onion and tomato, eaten with steamed rice. Many homes temper it with just ghee, jeera, hing and red chilli, and a Jain home leaves out the onion, garlic and ginger and adds more tomato.
- 40 minTime
- 34 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 17 gprotein per portion
- 530kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 200 gToor dal
- ≈ 750 mlWater, for the cooker
- 3 mlTurmeric
- to tasteSalt
- ≈ 250 mlWater, hot
- 2 tbspGhee
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 1 mlHing (asafoetida)
- 4 clovesGarlic, finely chopped
- 2Dried red chillies
- 1Onion, finely chopped
- 1 tspGinger, grated
- 2Green chillies, chopped
- 2Tomatoes, chopped
- 3 mlRed chilli powder
- 2 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped
On the side
- 300 gRice, basmati or sona masoori
- ≈ 700 mlWater, for the rice
Method
- Wash the toor dal in two or three changes of water. Put it in the pressure cooker with the water, turmeric and a little salt.
- Pressure-cook on medium heat for 4 whistles, about 15 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Meanwhile, wash the rice two or three times, put it in a pan with the water and bring to the boil.
- Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Keep it covered until you serve.
- Chop the onion, tomatoes, garlic and green chillies and grate the ginger.
- For the tadka, heat the ghee in a kadai and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the hing, garlic and dried red chillies and fry for a few seconds, until the garlic is light golden.
- Add the onion and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, green chillies, tomatoes and red chilli powder and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the ghee separates, about 5 minutes.
- Open the cooker and whisk the dal until smooth. Stir in the hot water and bring it to a simmer.
- Pour the tadka into the dal, season with salt and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Scatter the coriander leaves over and serve with the rice.
