Restaurant-Style Dal Tadka

Today, I’m sharing possibly the most classic Indian dish ever: Dal Tadka!

I grew up eating dal nearly everyday as a child (like many Indian kids!), and this version is my favorite weeknight dal recipe. It’s creamy, packed with layer upon layer of flavor, and is a warm hug in a bowl. It gets taken over the top with the spiced oil (tadka) and tastes like pure comfort food (but is healthy, vegan, and gluten-free). 

And if you have my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, you can find a recipe for an easy but delicious Dal Tadka in Chapter 3. 

What is Dal Tadka?

Dal = the Hindi word for lentil.

In India, dal refers not only to the dish but also to lentils themselves. The dish is basically a deeply spiced, aromatic lentil stew, but there are countless regional variations of dal and even more variations across each Indian family. 

Tadka = tempered oil in which spices, herbs, and/or aromatics are briefly fried in oil. The name differs depending on the regional language. For instance, in Gujarati (the language my family speaks), we call it vaghar. 

The dal (lentils cooked in spices and aromatics) is finished by pouring the tadka on top.

In this recipe, split lentils are cooked in a mixture of aromatics, ground spices, and tomatoes (which bring a pleasant tanginess) until soft and creamy. The lentils are finished with the fragrant tadka, which enhances both the taste and texture.

Why you’ll love this Dal Tadka

Pantry staples. Aside from a few aromatics (fresh ginger, green chili pepper, and cilantro), this is a pantry recipe! 

Budget-friendly. In addition to being a pantry meal, it’s budget-friendly!

Authentic Indian food, restaurant-style. There are a ton of Indian recipes out on the internet, and a lot of them skimp on spices or just use one or two bottled spices. I can see the appeal of that, but if you want a truly authentic (and incredibly delicious) Indian dal, this is the recipe for you!

Comfort food but healthy. It’s creamy, deeply spiced and aromatic, and tastes indulgent. BUT, it’s made with wholesome ingredients and high in protein, thanks to lentils. Dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, so it’s allergen-friendly too! 

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What kind of lentils are used in dal?

Dal is typically made with split lentils or split peas, but there are also variations that use split chickpeas (“chana dal”) or kidney beans (“rajma dal”).

In this recipe, I use moong dal (AKA yellow split lentils), but growing up, my mom most often used toor dal (AKA yellow split pigeon peas). You can easily substitute with other split lentils. The cook time will vary, with the chana dal likely taking the longest, so you need to keep an eye on the dal as it cooks.

You can find every variety of split lentil and pea at South Asian grocery stores. If you have access to only a basic grocery store, use regular red lentils (they will take a bit longer to cook since their skins aren’t split).

You can also find these lentils on Amazon. All of these varieties work in this recipe. 

• Moong Dal (yellow split lentils)
• Toor Dal (yellow split pigeon peas)
• Chana Dal (split chickpeas)
• Masoor Dal (red split lentils)

Everything you need to know about Tadka

Tadka is tempered and spice-infused oil, widely used in Indian cooking. The idea is to toast spices and aromatics in a fat source, as it releases their essential oils, which is where the aroma and flavors live.

Basic instructions for tadka

Heat up a few spoons of oil in a small pan (sometimes ghee is used, but I use oil to keep it vegan). Add whole spices and/or sliced or minced aromatics (like ginger or garlic). Toast them until they sizzle and become aromatic, swirling often to prevent burning.

If adding ground spices, add them last, for just 10-30 seconds. Stir or swirl the pan frequently to prevent burning.

Tip: The tadka brings SO much flavor and warmth to the dish (and even texture). It takes the dal from good to fantastic, so please please please don’t skip it!!

What spices are used in tadka?

My version contains black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chili pepper. I think the curry leaves and mustard seeds add the most flavor, so I wouldn’t skip those if you have an Indian grocery store near you. If you don’t, here are some dried curry leaves on Amazon. 

Substitutes: If you don’t have all the spices in this recipe, fret not because every tadka is different. Here are some substitute options.

• Thinly sliced shallots or garlic
• Fennel seeds or fenugreek leaves 
• Whole cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces 
• Whole cardamom pods or whole cloves
• A few pinches of ground spices, such as cumin or coriander (be sure to add for just a few seconds at the very end to prevent burning)
• Asafoetida powder (aka hing) is often added to dal, as it helps the body better digest legumes. It brings all the spices together and makes it taste distinctly Indian. Note: it smells very pungent and offputting, but once cooked, its odor disappears.

How to make Dal Tadka (step-by-step instructions) 

Gather your ingredients.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with the oil. Sauté the onions until starting to turn golden. Add the garlic, ginger and serrano pepper, and sauté for 60-90 seconds.

Add the ground spices and stir almost constantly for 30 seconds. Pour in 2 cups water to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits.

Add the lentils and salt/pepper to the pan. Bring the dal to a boil, then partially cover the pan and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, stir, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, until tomatoes are broken down (fresh tomatoes need more time). At the end, stir in the chopped cilantro.

Tip: for a creamier texture, run an immersion blender through some (but not all) of the dal.

Before serving, make the tadka. Heat a couple spoons of oil up in a tadka pan or small skillet.

Once shimmering, add the mustard seeds and swirl the pan/stir frequently. Once they pop, add the cumin seeds and stir almost constantly until a few shades darker.

Finally, add the curry leaves and dried red chile peppers–these need just 15 to 20 seconds. If using fresh curry leaves, stand back as they might sputter in the oil.

Pour the tadka over the dal and stir to incorporate. Garnish with more cilantro and serve warm!

How to serve Dal Tadka

In most Indian families and restaurants, dal is served with either white rice or some sort of simple flatbread, like roti or chapati.

If you are feeling fancy, this dal pairs amazingly well with my homemade Vegan Naan recipe. 

For toppings, I like to add a little coconut yogurt and thinly sliced red onion on top. If you don’t have vegan yogurt but still want something cooling, try a little diced avocado. Non-traditional but very good! 

Watch! How to make Vegan Dal Tadka

3 Delicious Lentil Recipes | healthy + vegan

In the above video, I show you how to make three different lentil recipes. For the Dal Tadka, fast forward to the 3:24 mark. And for more delicious recipe videos, check out my youtube channel!

If you love this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please rate and review the recipe below!

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Restaurant-Style Dal Tadka

By Nisha Vora

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 50 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4

5 from 149 votes

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Inspired by the dal I grew up eating nearly every day, this recipe brings restaurant-quality flavor to your weeknight table. Creamy spiced lentils get topped with a crackling tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves. It’s a warm hug in a bowl that happens to be naturally vegan, gluten-free, and loaded with fiber and protein.

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Ingredients

Dal

• ▢ 1 cup (200g) split yellow lentils, aka “moong dal” (see Note 1)
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (or neutral oil of choice)
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 inch (2.5cm) piece fresh ginger, grated or minced (about 1 TBSP)
• ▢ 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped (remove membranes for less heat) (see Note 2)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups (600 to 840 mL) filtered water (see Note 3)
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1 (14.5-ounce / 410g) can crushed or diced tomatoes (see Note 4)
• ▢ 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Tadka

• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (or neutral oil of choice)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (or brown)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 or 2 pinches asafoetida (optional)
• ▢ ~10 fresh curry leaves (or ~ 20 dried curry leaves)
• ▢ 1 to 2 dried red chile peppers (optional)

For serving

• ▢ Cooked basmati rice or flatbread, to serve 4
• ▢ Coconut yogurt for dolloping (optional)
• ▢ Thinly sliced red onions (optional)

Instructions 

• Sift through the lentils and remove any pebbles. Soak the lentils in cold water for 15 minutes and then drain them.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat (for nonstick pans, you can use 1 tbsp oil; for other pans, you’ll need a bit more). Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened and starting to turn golden brown on the edges.

  NOTE: For extra flavor, cook until onions are nicely browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper. Stir frequently for 60 to 90 seconds, or until garlic is lightly browned and the mixture is very fragrant. Add the curry powder, garam masala, coriander, and turmeric and stir to coat into the onions, stirring almost constantly for about 30 seconds. If things stick, add a splash of water to scrape up any browned bits.
• Pour in the water (I use about 2 cups / 480 mL at this stage) along with the soaked and drained lentils, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use ~ half for sea salt/table salt), and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
• Bring the dal to a boil. Then lower the heat and partially cover the pan with a lid (if your lid has a small hole on top to allow steam to escape, you can fully cover the pan). Simmer the dal for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are fully cooked through, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed to add adequate moisture/liquid to the dal.

  NOTE: Depending on your lentil variety, the cook time might vary from 25 to 35 minutes.
• Step 6. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have broken down and have basically blended into the dal. If using fresh tomatoes, they'll need more time unless you’ve pureed them.

  NOTE: If you want the dal to be thicker, run an immersion blender through some of the dal, but keep some lentils whole. It will also thicken more upon resting.

  Finally, stir in the chopped cilantro. Taste, adding more salt as needed.
• When the dal is done, make the tadka.

  Heat a tadka pan or your smallest saucepan (or skillet) over medium heat with the coconut oil.

  Wait until it’s very hot. To test whether it's hot enough, add one or two mustard seeds. If it sizzles immediately or nearly immediately, it's ready.

  Add the mustard seeds and swirl the pan frequently.

  Once they start popping, add the cumin seeds for a few seconds, or until just a few shades darker, continuing to swirl the pan.

  If using, add the asafoetida for a few seconds, followed by the curry leaves and dried chile peppers, if using.

  Keep stirring or swirling the pan to prevent burning, 15 to 30 more seconds, or until very aromatic and the curry leaves have shriveled a bit but not browned and the chili peppers and cumin seeds have turned darker but not burnt.

  Remove from the heat immediately and pour on top of the cooked dal.
• Taste the dal tadka for seasonings, adding more salt as desired. If desired, garnish with additional fresh cilantro. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread on the side and, if desired, dollop with yogurt and garnish with a few red onion slices.

Video

Notes

1. You can also use split red lentils (AKA Masoor dal). If using regular red lentils, they will need a bit longer to cook. For more lentil variations, see the 2nd FAQ.
2. For very mild heat, use a jalapeño instead and remove the membranes from inside.
3. I prefer my dal creamy and thick, so I start with 2 cups (480 mL) water and gradually add more water throughout the cooking process—about ¾ to 1 extra cup of water (180 to 240 mL). If you want a soupier dal, start with more than 3 or 3 ½ cups (720 to 840 mL) of water, adding more as needed later.
4. If using fresh tomatoes, use about 1 ½ cups (300g) finely diced fresh tomatoes. For the best texture, purée the tomatoes in a food processor first. If it’s not tomato season, I recommend using canned tomatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 738mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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