Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style)

Name: Dal Tadka (Restaurant Style)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
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

Prep:20minCook:10min

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.

Updated at: Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:05:26 GMT