Tarka Dal

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) Split yellow lentils (moong dal), rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
• 700 ml (3 cups) Water
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 medium Tomato, chopped
• 3 tbsp Ghee or neutral oil, for the tarka
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Black mustard seeds
• 2 Dried red chillies
• 5 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small Onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or mild paprika
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• Fresh coriander, chopped, to finish

You’ll need: Medium pot, Small frying pan

Method

1. 1

   Cook the lentils. Put the rinsed lentils, water, turmeric, salt, ginger and tomato in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

2. 2

   Check the texture. The dal is ready when the lentils have broken down and it is thick and soupy. Whisk or beat it with a wooden spoon for a creamier body. Add a splash of hot water if it is too thick. Taste and add salt.

3. 3

   Start the tarka. Shortly before serving, heat the ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the dried chillies and stir for 10 seconds.

4. 4

   Fry the aromatics. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, just until it turns pale gold. Garlic goes from golden to bitter quickly, so watch it.

5. 5

   Finish. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chilli powder and garam masala. Pour the sizzling mixture straight over the dal, scraping every bit of the fat out of the pan. Stir in the lemon juice, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice or flatbread.