Dals & Curries
Yellow Tadka Dal
Everyday arhar dal finished with a crackling mustard-oil tadka
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
This is the dal most North Indian homes run on — soft-cooked arhar simmered with turmeric, then woken up at the last minute with a tadka of hot mustard oil, cumin and dried chilli. The pungency of cold-pressed mustard oil is the whole point: heat it till it just smokes, and it turns sweet and nutty.
Method
- 1
Rinse the dal until the water runs clear. Pressure-cook with water, turmeric and salt for 3–4 whistles, until completely soft.
- 2
Whisk the cooked dal briefly so it turns creamy, loosening with hot water to the consistency you like. Keep it on a low simmer.
- 3
Heat the mustard oil in a small tadka pan until it just reaches its smoking point, then take it off the heat for a few seconds — this mellows its raw pungency.
- 4
Return the pan to medium heat. Add cumin and let it crackle, then the dried chillies and hing, and last the red chilli powder — off the heat so it doesn't scorch.
- 5
Pour the sizzling tadka over the simmering dal and cover immediately for a minute so it holds the aroma. Finish with coriander and serve with rice or roti.
From our kitchen
- Heating mustard oil to its smoking point once, then cooling slightly, is the traditional way to soften its raw edge without losing character.
- For a gaon-style version, add a clove of crushed garlic to the tadka with the cumin.
From the pantry
