Quick & Easy Tarka Dal
Food
Main Courses
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Anjula Devi in Spice for Life
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 75 minutes
4 Servings
Ingredients
300g red split lentils
1lt cold water
KEY SPICES
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 inch cassia bark
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli flakes
WARMING SPICES
2 tsp fenugreek leaves, soaked in 4 tbsp hot water
WET INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 oz clarified butter
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
2 tbsp good creamy natural yogurt
1 large onion, finely chopped or purée in a blender
200g good quality tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tsp pulped garlic
1 tsp pulped ginger
2-3 fresh green chillies, pierced (the number of chillies should reflect your preferred level of heat)
1 tsp grated jaggery
Sea salt to taste
Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
FOR THE TEMPERING
1 tbsp groundnut oil
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 garlic clove, cut into fine slivers
2 dry red Kashmiri chillies
Method
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Soak the lentils in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then drain, and wash thoroughly until the water runs clear
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Bring the lentils to the boil in 1 litre of cold water, over a high heat. Remove foam if desired
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Reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Drain half of the water and set aside. Once cool, stir in the tamarind pulp and yogurt
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In a dry frying pan gently warm through the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black peppercorns, over a low heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add to a pestle and mortar and grind coarsely
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Take a large sauté pan, add the oil, butter, cassia bark and bay leaf and warm through on a low heat. Add the onions and fry until translucent and light brown. This will take at least 10 minutes
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Add the turmeric and red chilli flakes and sauté for a further 2 minutes
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Add the tomatoes and jaggery and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until you see the oil begin to appear at the sides or on the surface of the onions and tomatoes
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Add the spices from the pestle and mortar, stir really well and cook for 2 minutes
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Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Cook for a further 2 minutes and season with sea salt
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Add the contents of the sauté pan to the lentils, stir well, and bring the lentils back to the boil
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Reduce immediately to a gentle simmer, add the soaked fenugreek leaves, and cook for 10 minutes, or until you have the lentils to the thickness you like to serve them
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Heat the groundnut oil in a small frying pan, add all the remaining tempering ingredients, and fry for 30 seconds
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Remove from the heat and pour the tempering ingredients over the cooked lentils
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Add fresh coriander and serve with boiled rice or chapattis
