Indian · easy

Dal Tadka

Name: Dal Tadka
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas); 2 tbsp Ghee; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds; 4 cloves Garlic Cloves; 2 Dried Red Chilies (optional); 8 leaves Curry Leaves (optional); 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder; 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Comforting yellow lentil dal finished with a sizzling tadka of cumin, mustard seeds, and garlic in ghee. Everyday Indian comfort food.

40 min
Total: 4
Serves: $7.50
Est. cost: 260
Cal/serving

Dietary, as tagged

Gluten-free
Halal

Parent noteSkip the dried red chilies in the tadka for a completely mild version. Kids love the creamy texture with plain rice.

Chips reflect this recipe's curated tags, not an ingredient-by-ingredient allergen scan. The app tags every ingredient against the top-9 allergens and filters your family's weekly plan by severity — check labels if an allergy is severe.

Ingredients

Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas)1 cup
Ghee2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds1 tsp
Mustard Seeds1/2 tsp
Garlic Cloves4 cloves
Dried Red Chilies (optional)2
Curry Leaves (optional)8 leaves
Turmeric Powder1/2 tsp
Fresh Cilantro (optional)1/4 cup

Method

01
Rinse toor dal thoroughly and add to a pot with 3 cups water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until dal is soft and creamy.
02
Mash the dal lightly with the back of a spoon. Adjust consistency with water if needed.
03
For the tadka: heat ghee in a small pan until shimmering. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red chilies. Let them crackle for 15 seconds.
04
Add sliced garlic and curry leaves to the tadka. Fry until garlic is golden, about 1 minute.
05
Pour the sizzling tadka over the cooked dal. Stir, garnish with cilantro, and serve with steamed rice.

260
Calories: 15g
Protein: 36g
Carbs: 7g
Fat