Ready in under half an hour, yellow dal tadka is an Indian staple that can be found in all restaurants and households. The lentils and vegetables are cooked together and then topped with a flavorful tempering. It is an extremely versatile dish, that can be served with anything, from simple boiled basmati rice, to tandoori roti or butter naan, or as a side dish to meat or fish dishes.
Every single Indian restaurant has at least two dal recipes, which are dal makhani, and of course, dal tadka garnished with cilantro [chopped coriander leaves].
This is a fail-proof method I've been using for over 10 years. I simply load all the vegetables and some spices in the pressure cooker, then top the cooked lentil soup with a spiced tempering.
As I love to make cooking Indian food as simple as possible [as I've learned the hard way], using only toor dal [also known as split pigeon peas, split yellow pigeon peas, or arhar dal], some tomato, onions, and the most traditional Indian spices will deliver the best homemade dal tadka.
This filling meal is easy to store, add to the lunch box, or serve for dinner parties and impress friends!
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💎 Why This Recipe Works
- This dal tadka recipe, also called tarka dal, daal, or dhal, takes under 30 minutes to prepare!
- No soaking time is involved, so you can get cooking straight away.
- It can be made hotter or milder, thicker or thinner, as preferred, with simple changes!
- Tadka dal is vegan, gluten-free, and high in proteins.
- It can be served with basmati rice, jeera rice, or with chapattis, rotis, and naan, as well as a side to main dishes such as potato curry or garlic chicken curry without tomato.
🛒 Ingredients
- Toor Dal: This is the most common type chosen for lentil recipes. Opt for the non-oily version if possible, as oily dal is stored that way only to make it look fresh for longer while stored.
- Tomato, and Onion: Fresh, juicy tomatoes and any color onions will work.
- Ginger, and Garlic: Fresh or fresh-frozen, if possible.
- Green Chilies: These add spice without changing the color of the yellow pigeon peas. You can use more or fewer than my recommended amount, depending on your preference.
- Turmeric Powder: This is the only powdered spice in the recipe. All the other ones used are whole.
- Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Dry Red Chiles, and Curry Leaves: These are all used in the tempering of the dal. Add cumin seeds twice, once while the lentils are cooking in the pressure cooker and then again in the tadka.
- Hing [Asafoetida]: This is an ingredient that is most often used in the tempering in Indian recipes. It is optional, however, if you have it, it does really elevate the dish. We also wrote an article with the best asafoetida substitutes.
- Lemon Juice: This adds tang and a fresh note. You can use fresh or bottled juice.
- Cilantro [Fresh Coriander Leaves]: This adds layers of flavor and freshness to the dish, while also being a nice garnish.
- Vegetable Oil, and Salt: For cooking and seasoning. Any unflavored vegetable oil, such as sunflower, will work.
🔔 Be sure to check out the recipe card for all the ingredients and instructions you'll need to make this dish. Don't miss out on any of the details!
📑 Substitutions And Variations
- Lentils: This lentil curry can be prepared with other types of lentils, as well as a mixture of them. Other popular options to consider if you are looking to change or mix are masoor dal, chana dal [these hold their shape a little more and may need a few longer minutes to properly cook], moong dal, or urad dal. Whole black lentils are used in dal makhani, so perhaps try the other recipe instead [linked above] if you prefer that type.
- Tomato: This ingredient can be skipped if not liked, however, it will reduce the tanginess of the dal. Increase the amount of lemon if doing so. If you wish to use tinned chopped tomatoes instead, ensure they are of good quality and only use the pieces without the watery liquid in the tin.
- Onions: Shallots or pearl onions can be used instead. While the first will offer a stronger flavor, the second will result sweeter.
- Ginger Garlic Paste: This can be used instead of fresh. However, the flavor will vary slightly in strength, so it is not my favorite choice if I can choose.
- Ghee: To make dal tadka extra indulgent, ghee can be used instead of oil. However, it has a distinctive flavor and is not vegan. For those looking for alternatives, check out my guide on substitutes for ghee to find a suitable option.
- Lemon: Lime can be used instead.
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: A little red chilli powder can be added to the tempering. This will offer added heat and a beautiful deep red color to the oil, especially recommended as a garnish.
- Kasuri Methi: A tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves can be added to the dal at the same time as the water. To fully release its aroma, microwave it for 5-10 seconds, and then crush it between the palms of your hands and add it to the curry. This will offer a very North Indian dal tadka!
👩🏻🍳 How To Make (Step-By-Step)
Prepare the Lentil Curry
- Rinse the toor dal.
- Add the rinsed dal to the pressure cooker with chopped onions, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder [Picture 1].
- Add the water and mix well.
- Seal the pot and heat up over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce to medium heat and pressure cook dal for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the pressure to reduce naturally.
- Once these ingredients are cooked, the lentils will be mushy but still hold a little their shape. Add enough water to reach your desired consistency as well as the lemon juice. [Picture 2]
Top with Tadka
- Finally, prepare the tempering for the tadka dal. In a small pan, heat up the sunflower oil on high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to low, and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After a few seconds, follow these with garlic, dry red chilies, curry leaves, hing (asafoetida). [Picture 3]
- Once the oil is aromatic, while it is still hot, pour the tempering on top of the dal and mix well, adding the chopped cilantro, if desired. [Picture 4]
- You can garnish dal tadka with extra cilantro, serve and enjoy!
🙋 People Also Ask [FAQs]
What is dal tadka made of?
Dal tadka is a traditional Indian dish made of lentils. The most frequently used lentils are yellow Pigeon peas, also known as toor dal, arhar dal, or tuvar dal, however many also use split red lentils [masoor dal]. The lentils are prepared with tomatoes, onions, and whole and powdered spices, and are then topped with a tempering of oil or ghee.
What is the difference between dal tadka and dal fry?
For the dal fry, the cooked dal is added to a masala of tomato and onion, while for dal tadka, the lentils are cooked with these ingredients and then topped with a tempering [tadka].
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- I recommend preparing the dal with an unflavored oil and then topping it with a little ghee as you go depending on the dish you are serving it with. Keeping the dal tadka neutral means you can use it as a side dish throughout the week to accompany different dishes.
- Thicker dal is usually served with flatbreads, such as tandoori roti or naan, as it is easier to scoop up. Thinner dal tadka is paired with rice, as it coats it better.
- The lentils can be cooked in a regular saucepan. Simply soak them for a minimum of 4 hours [overnight if possible] to soften, then cook for 30 minutes on a medium-high flame, often checking to ensure there is enough water left. As the dal cooks, add more water if necessary.
- You can transform this into a restaurant-style dal tadka by adding a light smoky flavor to the recipe.
- Heat a piece of natural coal until it is red hot.
- Once warm, using metal tongs or something to help you, move the coal in a small metal bowl, which you then place in the same bowl as the ready-prepared dal tadka.
- On top of the coal, add a little oil or ghee [half a teaspoon suffice], then seal the pot with a lid on it.
- After 2-3 minutes, remove the coal and wait for it to cool down completely before disposing of it.
- Do not leave the coal in for too long, as it may over-smoke the lentils, giving a bitter taste. Making dal tadka restaurant-style has never been simpler!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
- In the fridge: This delicious dal tadka can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- In the freezer: It can be frozen for up to three months.
- Reheating: Reheat the tadka dal until piping hot either in a pan on a low flame or in the microwave.
- Good to know: The dal will thicken once cold, so you may need to add a little water when you reheat your portion.
🍴 More Delicious Recipes To Try
🍽️ Recipe
Super Quick and Delicious Dal Tadka
A two-step recipe to make this recipe in under 30 minutes, yet bursting with flavor!
Ingredients
For the Lentil Curry:
- ¾ Cup Toor Dal
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tomato Roughly Chopped
- 1 Onion Roughly Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Thinly Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Thinly Chopped
- 3 Green Chilies Slit on the side
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 Cups Water Room Temperature
For the Tadka Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Sunflower Oil or any flavorless vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Garlic Cloves Sliced
- ½ teaspoon Hing Asafoetida
- 2 Dry Red Chilies
- 10-15 Curry Leaves
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 10 g Freshly Chopped Coriander optional to garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Lentil Curry
- Rinse the toor dal.
- Add the lentils to the pressure cooker with water, chopped onions, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder. Mix well.
- Seal the pot and heat up over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce to medium heat and pressure cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the pressure to reduce naturally. This will finish to cook the lentils to perfection.
- Once these ingredients are cooked, the lentils will be mushy but still holding a little their shape. Add enough water to reach your desired consistency as well as the lemon juice.
Top with Tadka
- Finally, prepare the tempering for the tadka dal. In a small pan, heat up the sunflower oil on a high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to low, and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After a few seconds, follow these with garlic, dry red chilies, curry leaves, hing (asafoetida).
- NOTE: The ingredients need to be added to the hot oil quickly, to ensure nothing burns, but they all cook.
- While it is still hot, add the tempering on top of the dal and mix well, adding the chopped cilantro, if desired, as well.
- You can let the dal simmer until it is hot and reaches your desired consistency either with the temperint in it, or before adding it.
- You can garnish dal tadka with extra cilantro, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Lentils: This lentil curry can be prepared with other types of lentils, as well as a mixture of them Other popular options to consider if you are looking to change or mix are masoor dal, chana dal [these hold their shape a little more and may need a few longer minutes to properly cook], moong dal, or urad dal.
- Tomato: This ingredient can be skipped if not liked, however, it will reduce the tanginess of the dal. Increse the amount of lemon if doing so. If you wish to use tinned chopped tomatoes instead, ensure they are of good quality and only use the pieces, without the watery liquid in the tin.
- Onions: Shallots or pearl onions can be used instead. While the first will offer a stronger flavor, the second will result sweeter.
- Ginger Garlic Paste: This can be used instead of the fresh, however, the flavor will slightly vary in strenght, so it is not my favorite choice if I can choose.
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: A little chili powder can be added to the tempering. This will offer added heat and a beautiful deep red colour to the oil, especially recommended as a garnish.
- Kasuri Methi: A tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves can be added to the dal at the same time as the water. To fully release its aroma, microwave it for 5-10 seconds, and then crush it between the palms of your hands, and add it to the curry.
- In the fridge: Leftover dal tadka can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- In the freezer: It can be frozen for up to three months.
- Reheating: Reheat the tadka dal until piping hot either in a pan with on a low flame or in the microwave. The dal will thiken once cold, so you may need to add a little water when you reheat your portion.
Nutrition
Calories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 487mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 499IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nidhi Patel says
This is an excellent recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out fantastic. It was a hit with my family, so I'll be making it again. This dhal was served with tandoori roti and some pickle.
Elle says
Thank you, Nidhi! So happy to hear so!