My friends and family know how much I love Indian food. Usually, that just translates into an inordinate amount of takeout, and not a lot of home cooking.
Why not a lot of home cooking? Partly because my kitchen is very tiny, but also partly because I still live with the memory of my best friend’s (South Indian) mother very much shaking her head at my fidgeting with the roti (promise I’ve improved my roti skills, aunty!). My roti-rolling fiasco aside, it’s one of my favourite food-related memories – both for the delicious home-cooked South Indian food and for the quality time spent with friends.
One of the dishes I do often cook at home is dal tadka because it requires minimal effort (is anyone noticing a pattern here?), freezes well, and is a filling and delicious vegetarian/vegan meal.
Split red lentils are first cooked with onions, tomatoes, and turmeric before being finished with a tadka and a sprinkling of fresh coriander. Tadka refers to the tempering of spices in hot oil before adding them to a dish. This brings out their full aroma and really lets them shine! It’s a technique you’ll often find in Indian cooking, and is one of the reasons Indian cuisine just tastes so good.
If you’re cooking up a big batch to save in the freezer, you need only cook the lentils and freeze them. When you feel a craving for dal (or just don’t want to do any heavy lifting in the kitchen), simply defrost the lentils, make the tadka, and stir in the coriander. Done!
I buy my spices at Indian grocers, which often means I get a sizeable quantity for a very reasonable price. Stored properly, they keep very well. I keep fresh curry leaves in the freezer, which blunts their flavour somewhat over time, but is a very good solution if you don’t have a curry tree in your backyard!
Dal Tadka
Ingredients
- 250 grams dried red lentils (masoor dal) rinsed
- 1 liter water
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 dried red chilis
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander seed
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 4 fresh curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- Big handful fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
Instructions
Cook the lentils:
- If you have the time, soak the lentils in cold water for about 1 hour (see notes) and rinse again.
- In a large pot, combine the lentils, water, tomato, onion, and turmeric and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer until the lentils have softened. Mash half of the lentils with a spoon or by pushing them through a mesh sieve. Season with salt.
Make the tadka and finish the dal:
- In a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili, mustard seeds, and cumin and cook until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Add the ground coriander, garam masala, and curry leaves and cook for another minute or two, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Pour the hot tadka into the lentils and stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro). Serve over basmati rice.
Notes
- I like to use dried red Kashmiri chilis. You can also use “regular” dried red chilis. Both can be found at South Asian grocers.
- If you can’t find fresh curry leaves, you can substitute dried. Keep in mind that dried curry leaves are less flavourful than fresh, so adjust the amount used accordingly.
- The longer you soak the lentils, the faster they cook, and the less cooking liquid you need. Make sure to rinse the lentils before soaking in clean water. If leaving them to soak overnight, make sure to use a closed container. Once they’ve finished soaking, rinse the lentils once more under clean water before cooking.