Dal Tadka with red lentils, spice tadka, coriander and rice
Indian Recipe

Dal Tadka

For dal taka, boil red or yellow lentils with turmeric until soft. Shortly before serving, add a taka made from ghee, cumin, garlic, chilli, tomato and garam masala.

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Total time 40 min
Calories 430 kcal
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Easy
By the Published Updated Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

Dal Tadka with lentils and spice butter

Dal Tadka is simple, but timing matters: lentils should be soft and creamy, taka fresh and fragrant, spices should flourish in hot ghee, but not burn. It's only at the end that everything is brought together.

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Recipe

Dal Tadka

Dal Tadka is made of soft boiled lentils and a hot spice taka made from ghee, cumin, garlic, chilli and spices. The taka brings the main flavour.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1

    Cooking lentils

    Bring the lentils to the boil with water, turmeric and salt and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until tender.

  2. 2

    Dal creamy stir

    Mash the lentils lightly with a spoon until the dal is creamy. Keep warm.

  3. 3

    Tadka

    Heat ghee or oil. Roast cumin seeds, garlic, ginger and chilli briefly until fragrant.

  4. 4

    Add tomato and spices

    Add the tomatoes, garam masala and chilli powder to the taka and simmer for 3 minutes.

  5. 5

    Merging

    Pour the Tadka over the dal, season with lemon juice and coriander and serve hot.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Dal Tadka

Controlling consistency

Dal thickens when standing. Stir again until creamy with hot water or stock.

Don't burn Tadka

Garlic and spices should smell, but not become dark. It happens very quickly.

Merge at the end

Fresh Tadka just before serving gives the dal its best fragrance.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

Toor Dal is classic, but takes longer than red lentils and should be soaked first.

Replace ghee with neutral oil or coconut oil, but the taka remains aromatic.

Nutrition per serving

430kcal
58.0 gCarbohydrates
22.0 gProtein
12.0 gFat

Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Dal Tadka

Red lentils, yellow lentils or Toor dal are suitable. Red lentils cook fastest.

Tadka is hot fat with roasted spices and aromatics. It is then added over the dal.

absorb the lentils while standing. Simply stir them with hot water or stock until creamy.

Yes, replace ghee with oil. The flavour of the dish remains round when the spices are freshly roasted.

Keep cooking

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