🇮🇳 India · North Indian
Punjabi Tarka Dal
Weeknight lentils that taste like a weekend. The whole dish turns on the sizzling tempering poured over at the end.
- Time
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Rating
- 4.7 (4,520)
- vegan
- gluten-free
- high-fibre
- budget
Why this dish works
Tarka — also tadka or chhaunk — is the technique of blooming whole spices in hot fat and pouring them over a finished dish. It is the single highest-leverage move in Indian home cooking.
Method
- 1
Cook the dal
Simmer the lentils with turmeric, tomato and 900 ml water for 30–35 minutes, skimming the foam, until collapsing. Whisk briefly for body.
- 2
Make the tarka
Heat the ghee until shimmering. Add cumin, wait for it to crackle, then the chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry until the garlic is pale gold — not brown.
- 3
Pour over
Tip the whole sizzling lot into the dal and stir once, leaving some on top. Salt, then finish with coriander and lemon.
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