Dal Thadka
Dal Thadka
The Silkiest Lentils You’ve Never Made
A creamy, buttery blend of split pigeon peas, red lentils, and chickpeas simmered with aromatics, spiced with turmeric, cumin, and garam masala, and finished with a sizzling tadka of caramelized shallots, chili, and ghee.
Takes about 1h15 (including soak time).
Feeds 3–4 people.
Tastes best with fluffy jeera rice and a squeeze of lime.
Big shoutout to Your Food Lab where I adapted parts of this recipe from!
200g Toor Dal (Pigeon Peas)
50g Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)
50g Masoor Dal (Red Lentils)
1200ml water
2 green chilies
1 tsp turmeric (divided)
5 slices ginger +
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger (5 slices for boiling, remainder for blending)
5 garlic cloves
3 small tomatoes
2 small onions or shallots (one of them julienned)
2 tbsp ghee or butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
¼ tsp garam masala
pinch of dried fenugreek (optional)
4 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
salt to taste, about 2-3tsp
1/2 tsp msg (optional)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp distilled vinegar (optional)
Tadka
1,5 Tbsp ghee
1 shallot, julienned
1 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder
¼ tsp asafoetida (aka hing, optional)
Wash all lentils thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak in fresh water for 30–60 minutes, then drain.
Before finished soaking: In a blender, combine 1 shallot, garlic, the piece of ginger, 1 green chili, tomatoes, and ½ tsp salt. Blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
In a medium pot, add the soaked lentils, 1.2 L water, 1 halved green chili, the slices of ginger, ½ tsp turmeric, and ½ tsp salt. Optional: add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to prevent from boiling over. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are soft and mashable, about 25-30 minutes. Remove chili and ginger slices once cooked. Set aside.
In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds and dried red chili, toast until fragrant and golden but not burnt. Add the finely chopped onion or shallot and sauté until golden brown.
Set heat to medium low, stir in ½ tsp turmeric, smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder and coriander powder. Fry briefly to toast the spices.
Add the blended tomato-spice paste and cook until thickened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the cooked dal, stir well, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until a layer of deep orange oil “returns” to the surface.
While cooking, make topping tadka: heat ghee in a very small pan, fry the thinly sliced onion until golden, turn off heat, stir in smoked paprika and asafoetida.
Now taste for salt and adjust to taste. I add up to 1 more tsp here. Stir in garam masala, dried fenugreek (optional), and chopped coriander.
Optional restaurant trick: Now add a touch of msg, sugar, and a splash of white vinegar. Amps up an already great dish and brings flavors together.
Add dal to serving bowl(s), top with crispy onions and tadka, servie with Jeera Rice, plain basmati rice and/or flatbread.