Dal Tadka Recipe | Restaurant Style Dal Tadka

1. Chop onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, green chilli and coriander leaves finely. Then keep the ingredients ready for tempering.

2. Rinse all the dal well and soak in water for 30 minutes, soaking helps in fast cooking. Then pour 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook it for 5 to 6 whistles. Once the pressure subsides by itself, open the lid and mash it well. In a pan, pour oil, then add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli and saute till transparent.

3. Add tomato and saute till it turns mushy, now pour the mashed dal.

4. Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and cook covered for 5 to 6 minutes in low flame. The consistency of the dal should be medium not watery or too thick.

5. Add coriander leaves and keep the pan by side. For the dhungar method: hold the charcoal with a tongs and show it in direct flame till it becomes red hot.

6. Place the charcoal in a small bowl and keep the bowl carefully over the dal. Then pour 1/4 tsp of ghee over the hot charcoal and it starts fuming. Keep covered for 2 to 3 minutes, so that the fuming charcoal flavour will be locked. Open the lid and remove the bowl.

7. For Tempering: Heat ghee in a small tadka pan, add garlic, jeera, red chilli and hing.

8. Switch Off flame and add red chilli powder. Then pour the tempered ingredients over the dal.

Serve this restaurant style dal tadka with coconut milk pulao.

1. Dal combination can be altered as per preference – toor dal, channa dal, moong dal or masoor dal can be used or it can be made with any one type also. I used toor dal and channa dal.
2. Soaking the dal before pressure cooking helps in fast cooking of dal.
3. Adjust chilli and chilli powder as per spice level required for this dal tadka recipe.
4. If preferred, 1 tsp of kasuri methi leaves can be added (Step 4) for more flavour.
5. Dhungar method (Step 6) is optional, but the fumes from charcoal lends excellent aroma.
6. Always use natural charcoal only. Never use instant / chemical based charcoal which spoils the dish and harmful also.
7. In the dhungar method, you can place a small piece of onion, garlic or even garam masala powder along with charcoal. Each ingredient gives a different smell.
8. Keep the fuming charcoal over the dal for minimum 2 minutes. Also don’t forget to cover with a lid, so the flavours get locked.
9. Do the tempering at last only and tempering in ghee adds a wonderful taste.
10. If you calorie conscious, do the tempering with oil for this restaurant style dal tadka.

Restaurant Style Dal Tadka Recipe