Dal tadka

An attempt to make a basic Indian dish restaurant-style fancy. One of my favorite ways to eat lentils.

That's right, Dal tadka. Well, try and have a Merry Christmas.

Ingredients

• 1 cup masoor dal (split red lentils)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 serrano chilies
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp powdered turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 tbsp butter, canola oil or ghee
• 1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 tsp amchoor powder

Notes

Ginger-garlic paste is a staple Indian ingredient and should be available at any decent Desi market. You can substitute equal quantities of ginger and garlic minced or ground in a mortar and pestle, but do yourself a favor and pick up a jar of the easy stuff.

Directions

Finely chop onion, dice tomato, and finely dice serrano chilies, removing the seeds and midrib. Remove stems from cilantro and roughly chop. Add onion to Instant Pot with 1 tbsp oil. (If you wish to make this recipe entirely in the Instant Pot, add the additional oil, cumin seed, garlic and crushed red pepper from the next paragraph now.) Turn Instant Pot to normal saute mode and saute onions, stirring. When onions turn translucent, add chilies and 1/2 tsp cumin seed and saute for 2 minutes more, then add tomatoes and turn off Instant Pot (press Cancel). Add water, lentils, ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp cilantro, and turmeric. Put lid on Instant Pot and set for 15 minutes at high pressure. When cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally before opening pot. Lentils should be in very small pieces; cook for longer next time if a creamier texture is desired.

(If you are OK using the Instant Pot plus an additional pan) When lentils are cooked, heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add 1 tsp cumin seed and minced garlic. Cook until garlic is translucent and cumin is fragrant, then add crushed red pepper, cook 1 minute more and remove from heat. Pour oil and spices into lentil mixture, add garam masala and lemon juice, and stir to mix. Add salt to taste, 1 tsp or more.

(If you are making this recipe entirely in the Instant Pot) You should have already added 2 tbsp additional oil, 1 tsp cumin, garlic and crushed red pepper when starting the dish. If you missed any ingredients, add them now. Add garam masala and lemon juice to instant pot, stir to mix, and salt to taste, 1 tsp or more.

Serve with basmati rice, or for extra fanciness, serve with our Jeera rice recipe.