A simple, healthy split yellow lentil (daal) recipe prepared with aromatics, seasoned with tomatoes and garlic, and flavored with spiced oil known as Tadka. A simple, quick, and perfect meatless Monday meal with side of steamed rice. This classic lentils recipe never gets old. It freezes well, is gluten free, vegan, and has potential to load-up with any seasonal veggies in-hand.
Two months ago, CDH completed 7 years. While I wanted to share something special for the occasion.. Our move made me change my plans. Last week, while cooking a simple weekday dinner of this Daal Tadka and Rice reminded me of old days when I started blogging.. This was one of the first recipe I posted on blog. So, I decided to take few clicks and revive this old post with some new pictures.. and give you flavor of old CDH. :)
Yellow Daal with Tadka (tempered spiced oil) is most humble lentil preparation and an every day recipe in every Indian household. Every region has their own version of this lentil stew. My recipe is most common in Northern region. Over time, my lentil Tadka recipe has grown as my taste and love for food has grown.. These days, I prepare it various ways depending upon the season and mood. Initially, I had planned to share another version of this Lentils today but felt.. I cannot do justice with new recipe until I revive my old post. I still plan to share the few other favorite versions of Daal Tadka. Check back soon. I will update all my shares here.
Like I said, this simple dish can also be served as a spiced soup. Serve bread to scoop the daal and splash of lemon juice to cut balance the flavor of spices. Even today, whenever I prepare Daal Tadka for dinner.. I save some leftovers for lunch. For lunch, I thin-out the daal with some water or vegetable stock, taste and adjust seasoning, warm it up, add splash of lemon juice. This easy step turns it into a lentil soup. A side of warm bread and this soup feels like a most comforting easy meal ever!
Make Ahead: Daal Tadka can be prepared 1-2 days in advance. It gets thick as it sits for long which can be fixed while re-heating the daal. Simply dilute with water and adjust seasonings (if needed). Reheat and enjoy!
All lentils are gluten free. So is this daal recipe. It is also nut free and vegan. In traditional preparation, clarified butter (called Ghee) is used to instead of oil for tempering. I like to only use oil and no butter which makes this recipe vegan and lighter.
I recommend loading daal with seasonal veggies such as small diced carrots, zucchini, or cauliflower. Boil with lentils for more flavor. Make it a loaded veggie and protein-full meatless weeknight dinner. If prefer, serve with rice, bread, or naan. Or a green citurs salad goes great as well.
No matter how you serve.. One thing is certain! You will fall in LOVE with the flavors and simplicity of this dish!
Must try!
PS: Yellow Daal Tadka recipe was first published in June 2011. Today, I have updated the pictures, and added more explanation in method of preparation.
Cuisine: Indian Category: Main Course, Curry, Dinner Difficulty: Easy
Yields: 4 of 1 Cup Servings Serves: 4
Notes:No. of servings depends on serving size. SEE PRINTABLE RECIPE
Ingredients
1 Cup Yellow Daal (Split Moong Daal, washed)
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste (Or grated 1 inch ginger and 2 garlic cloves)
1 Cup Tomatoes (ripe roma tomatoes, grated )
1/2 Cup Red Onion (grated red onion, very small chopped)
1/2 tsp Turmeric
3/4 tsp Chili Powder (mild, 1/2 tsp and 1/4 divided, adjust per taste)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cumin Seeds (divided)
1/2 tsp Hot Green Pepper (small) (minced, optional)
1.5 tbsp Canola Oil
Directions
1.Wash lentils in running water until water runs clear. Then boil with 3 cups of fresh batch of water and 1/2 tsp salt until lentils are very tender or done to your preference. (15-20 minutes). Boil on low-medium heat as yellow lentils tend to boil-over very quickly.
Additional Notes:
To cook lentils in *Pressure Cooker, follow instruction in notes.
2.Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in pan, add half of cumin seeds (these should start sputtering), add onion and fry until light brown in color (4-5 minutes). Now, add ginger, garlic, green chilies. Fry for 2 minutes.
3.Now add grated tomatoes and fry until oil separates. Add turmeric and half teaspoon of red chili powder and fry for 30 seconds.
4.Mix daal/lentils in the fried mixture. Cook for 1-2 minute at low heat.
5.Turn off the heat. Remove lentils in a bowl. Whip the pan clean, heat up remaining oil. When oil is hot, add in cumin seeds and remaining chili powder. Fry for 20 seconds then pour over daal. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Savita's Recipe Notes:
Pressure Cooker: If using pressure cooker, cook lentils with 2.5 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt for 4-5 minutes. Or check instructions on your Pressure Cooker for lentil cooking time. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
Make-Ahead: To save time prepare Yellow Daal Tadka on weekend and freeze it for upto 1 week. Re-heat and enjoy anytime.
Out of moong dal, chana dal, masoor dal and toovar dal, you can take any one dal or any combination of it in this recipe. However, make sure that their total quantity is 1 cup. Ghee is used for a nice flavor and this is what makes it so popular. However, you can also use butter or oil as its replacement.
Yellow Lentils of any type are referred to as dal tadka. It can be entire or split and can have or not have the skin. Dal tadka may be made using a variety of lentils, but the most popular variation utilises toor dal, commonly known as arhar dal or split pigeon peas in English.
In reality, Tarka signifies that the dhal has been tempered with a mixture of crisp fried garlic, onion and chilli towards the end of cooking, a process which adds a total flavour bomb to the lentils.
This dish is typically served with cumin rice and roti, just as I have done. Roti is an Indian flatbread that happens to also be a favorite of mine. Dal is a dish that is very simple but packed with flavor. To make dal, you cook lentils until they are soft and then you add in the tadka, to top it off.
Butyrate, a kind of short-chain fatty acid, is important for the intestinal lining's health, and the yellow dal contributes to its production. Its anti-inflammatory effects prevent gas from building up in the body. This yellow dal is high in nutrients and very simple to digest.
The most commonly eaten dal in India is "Masoor dal," also known as red lentil. Masoor dal is widely consumed across various regions of India and is a popular staple in Indian households.
What is the difference between dal fry and dal tadka? Dal fry is when you add cooked dal to the sautéed/ fried masala & simmered for a short time.Dal tadka is when you pour tadka (tempering) over cooked spiced dal & no further cooking is done.
Moong dal is the split version of whole mung beans also known as green gram (with or without skin). Yellow mung dal or yellow lentils is without skin and split green moong dal is with the skin.
Tarka Dhal is food for the soul, it will heal you from the inside out, this is what I eat if I seek comfort from feeling run down and tired. Its full of nutrient rich spices and herbs, and the Lentils are high in fibre, low in fat, help to lower cholesterol, are good for the heart and can be easily digested.
Be careful how much turmeric you add to your daal, because that's another thing that can make it go bitter. If you are using spinach, it could be bitter too. Taste your raw spinach to check its bitterness. Remove the stalks too.
Any yellow dal such as channa dal, toor dal or moong dal can be used in this recipe. If you cannot get hold of chana dal, yellow split peas are a terrific substitution but only use 3 cups of water and cook for 40 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. For toor dal, only use 3 cups of water and cook per recipe times.
Urad dal is the main ingredient that offers rich and delicious taste to very famous dal makhana. Urad dal items like idly, dosa, tasty bonds and vadas are a staple for breakfast and it is piled up with protein, potassium, calcium, iron and vitamins A and C.
To enhance the taste of dal, prepare a tempering with garlic and mustard oil. Garlic has a strong smell which becomes more intense after roasting in mustard oil and increases the flavour of the dal.
Dal Tadka is a popular Indian dish where cooked spiced lentils are finished with a tempering made of ghee/ oil and spices. In Hindi, the word 'Dal' means 'lentils' and Tadka means 'tempering'. So Dal Tadka means lentils finished with a tempering, at the end.
Made with yellow lentils, fresh ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cumin, this mild dal recipe is one the whole family will love. This easy dinner meal cooks up on the stovetop for a perfect weeknight meal when time is tight but tasty enough that it works for more special occasions.
Moong dal is a nutrient-rich food. It is enriched with minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, and copper. In addition to this, it also contains folate, fibre, and vitamin B6. Rich in B-complex vitamins, this yellow dal helps break down carbohydrates into glucose and produce usable energy for your body.
What is the difference between dal fry and dal tadka? Dal fry is when you add cooked dal to the sautéed/ fried masala & simmered for a short time.Dal tadka is when you pour tadka (tempering) over cooked spiced dal & no further cooking is done.
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Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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