Dal Tadka
Feb 19, 2019, Updated Sep 02, 2022
Restaurant style Dal Tadka (lentils) tempered with ghee and spices! This dal has a smokey flavor which makes it all the more special!
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Lentils tempered with spices and ghee, this Dal Tadka is one of the most popular Indian dishes and also my personal favorite.
This recipe uses burnt charcoal for that smokey flavor which makes the dal even more special!
Whenever we would eat out in India (when I was little), we would always order 2 types of dal for the table – dal tadka and dal makhani.
Most Indians I know prefer eating Dal Makhani when they are eating out, simply because it’s not something that you make everyday. Dal tadka on the other hand is made with toor dal which has to be the most common dal in Indian kitchens!
Toor dal (or arhar dal) was made in my house everyday. So obviously when you go out, you don’t want to eat what you anyway eat everyday.
But my dad loved Dal Tadka and so we always ended up ordering it. Actually the version that was made in my house everyday was super simple, with just a tadka of garlic and ghee on top of boiled dal.
Dal Tadka on the other hand uses a lot of ingredients and spices, making it a special dish. So even thought the lentil was same, the overall taste was very different.
This restaurant style Dal Tadka is my absolute favorite. I think I have inherited this from my dad, I really love dal tadka over any other dal. Sarvesh on the other hand, being a true punjabi loves his dal makhani!
The literal translation of Dal Tadka is Dal=lentil and tadka=tempering. Tadka or chaunk (in hindi) is a term we often use in Indian cooking for the process of adding seasoning to a dish.
It mostly involves adding spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garlic, chilies, curry leaves etc. to hot oil or ghee.
This Restaurant Style Dal Tadka
✓ tastes just like the dal tadka from your favorite restaurant
✓ has a smokey flavor which makes it more amazing!
✓ tastes amazing with plain rice or jeera rice
✓ bursting with some amazing flavors
Over the years, I have tried countless variations of dal tadka, both in India and then here in the US. Some people mix several types of lentils while other stick to only toor dal for the recipe.
Some make a tadka of onion only, while others go heavy on spices. As with most Indian recipes, there no right or wrong method or way here.
You make it in a way you like it. That’s always been my philosophy for cooking. After a lot of attempts, I have finally zeroed on my favorite version of dal tadka and I am really excited to be sharing this one with you guys.
How to Make the Best Dal Tadka
use fresh ingredients- yeah you always want to reach out for that store bough ginger-garlic paste but trust me, pound some fresh ginger and garlic in your mortar and pestle for this recipe and see the difference.
use ghee for cooking- if you are vegan then I understand that you would use oil for this recipe but if you are not vegan, please do use ghee for cooking the masala for the dal and also for the tempering.
Ghee really imparts so much flavor to the dal.
infuse smokey flavor to the dal through dhungar method- this is the real deal you guys! It just takes a simple dal from good to WOW! Seriously, I didn’t use to do it before but now I am hooked.
What is dhungar method you might ask? It’s the technique of infusing the flavors of burnt charcoal (smokey flavor) into a dish.
Piece of charcoal is heated on direct fire and then placed in a bowl which in then placed inside the dish. Then ghee or oil is poured over the hot charcoal, as the fumes begin to rise from the charcoal, it’s all enclosed with a lid.
The dish adsorbs the smokey flavor in that enclosed environment. The longer you close the lid for, the smokier the dish will become so remember to not over-do it.
I never go beyond 15 minutes. You can use the same method to impart smokey flavor to several other dishes like kadai paneer, panner tikka etc.
I hope you guys enjoy this dal tadka recipe, we sure did! Serve it with jeera rice for a perfect meal.
Method
1- To a pressure cooker add toor dal along with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water.
2- Pressure cook for 4 whistle on high heat then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release. Set it aside.
Meanwhile crush 4 large garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger and green chili in a mortar pestle and set it aside.
3- In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds and cloves. Saute few seconds until fragrant.
4- Then add onions, cook for around 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and start changing color.
5- Add the crushed garlic-ginger-green chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until raw smell goes away.
6- Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and cooked.
7- Then add the coriander powder, garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, cilantro and kasuri methi. Stir the spices with the masala for few 30 seconds.
8- Add the boiled dal to the pan and mix. I also added 1/2 cup water here as dal looked very thick to me.
9- Let the dal simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
10- For the tempering, heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a small pan. Once the ghee is hot, add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Also add hing and dried red chilies.
11- Cook for one minute until the garlic starts changing color. Add kashmiri red chili powder remove pan from heat.
12- Pour tempering over dal and mix.
This last step is optional but recommended.
13- For the dhungar method – place a steel bowl on top of a trivet placed inside the dal. Then heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat until its red hot.
14- Place hot charcoal in that steel bowl on top of the trivet. Pour melted ghee (around 1 tablespoon) on top of charcoal.
15- You will immediately see fumes coming out of charcoal.
16- Immediately close the pan with a lid. Let it remain like this for 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 to 10 minutes, remove lid and remove the bowl from dal.
The longer you keep the lid closed, the smokier dal will get, so don’t do more than 10 minutes.
Garnish dal tadka with more cilantro and serve!
If you’ve tried this Dal Tadka Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2014.
Dal Tadka
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal 200 grams, also known as arhar dal/split pigeon peas lentil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1.5 teaspoon salt divided, adjust to taste
- 3.5 cups water divided
- 4 large garlic cloves divided
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 green chili
- 1.5 tablespoons ghee 22 ml, also known as clarified butter or use oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds crushed in mortar pestle
- 2 cloves
- 1 medium red onion 150 grams, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder or adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
Tempering/Tadka
- 2 teaspoons ghee 10 ml
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon hing also known as asafoetida
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder optional
piece of charcoal & melted ghee, for dhungar method, optional
Instructions
- To a pressure cooker add toor dal along with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water.
- Pressure cook for 4 whistle on high heat then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release. Set it aside.
- Meanwhile crush 4 large garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger and green chili in a mortar pestle and set it aside.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds and cloves. Saute for few seconds until fragrant.
- Then add onions, cook for around 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and start changing color.
- Add the crushed garlic-ginger-green chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and cooked.
- Then add the coriander powder, garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, cilantro and kasuri methi. Stir the spices with the masala for few 30 seconds.
- Add the boiled dal to the pan and mix. I also added 1/2 cup water here as dal looked very thick to me. Let the dal simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- For the tempering/tadka, heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a small pan. Once the ghee is hot, add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Also add hing and dried red chilies.
- Cook for one minute until the garlic starts changing color. Add kashmiri red chili powder remove pan from heat.
- Pour tempering over the dal and mix.
- This last step is optional but recommended.For the dhungar method – place a steel bowl on top of a trivet placed inside the dal. Then heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat until its red hot.
- Place hot charcoal in that steel bowl on top of the trivet. Pour melted ghee (around 1 tablespoon) on top of charcoal. You will immediately see fumes coming out of charcoal.
- Immediately close the pan with a lid. Let it remain like this for 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 to 10 minutes, remove lid and remove the bowl from dal.
- The longer you keep the lid closed, the smokier dal will get, so don't do more than 10 minutes.
- Garnish dal tadka with more cilantro and serve!
Video
Notes
- Use oil in place of ghee to make this vegan.
- Skip hing (asafoetida) to make this gluten-free or use gluten-free hing.
- You may use a combination of lentils to make dal tadka. Commonly used- toor dal + moong dal or toor dal + masoor dal (red lentils).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hey! What is the added tempering for at the end? Why not just put all ingredients in the ghee at the start, then add the lentils? Why the xtra tempering what does it add? Thanks!!!
Hi! in Indian cooking we often do tadka at the end, it adds a lot of flavor and is often serve before serving the dish. The garlic, hing , the flavors of these will be more pronounced when you do a tadka of this at the end and add at the top before serving. hope this helps.
I will attempt the recipe this evening, seems delicious.
I was wondering: what do you do with the charcoal afterwards? Can you let it cool and reuse it? It would seem a bit wasteful to throw it away after one use, but not sure if this is possible with the ghee on top. I tried to look on other websites too, but haven’t found any answer.
I throw it, when we use charcoal for grilling, that’s what we do with that too, it’s burnt now. I am not sure what I would do with it afterwards.
Also if you don’t want to do this step, just skip it’s optional anyway. The dal is nice without dhungar too.
Those calories are per serving? It was so good i literally ate 4 serving sizes and now I’m worried ..
Absolutely yummy! Everytime I make it,the bowl is wiped clean!
I made this exactly as directed (except for the charcoal) and it was delicious! I served it with long grain basmati rice, raita, and homemade chapati. It was so authentic tasting that it transported me back to India. Thank you for this recipe!
you are welcome!
This was delicious – thanks for the recipe
welcome! 🙂
Recipe is very yummy. Where did you get that little bowl you used on top of the dahl for smoking? What kind of oil could you try
it’s a regular steel bowl, available easily everywhere- check Indian stores, amazon etc. You can use any oil- avocado, canola etc
Just tried this recipe(I tweaked a few flavours as per our taste) with the dhungar method and I think this is now our favourite dal.
Thanks Manali!
glad to know!
Excellent. I’ve just tried it and very happy with the result. I varied things somewhat, given different conditions – no pressure cooker and no charcoal – but thoroughly good to eat and I must congratulate you on your very detailed and helpful instructions. I shall now, while eating the dal, check out your other recipes. Thanks!
welcome!
Simply the best dall I have ever eaten. I have used the smoking charcoal on tikka before but never dall. A revelation.
Thanks?
so glad to know!
I am going to try this recipe using my table top smoker…I will keep you posted
It was amazing using my table top smoker…just love your recipes!!
Can you link the table top smoker you’re talking about? Is it like a smoking gun just to infuse flavor?
I have so many requests to make this over and over- it’s fool- proof
it’s my fav for sure! 🙂
That little stand you put the steel bowl on during the Dhungar method , does that have a name? I could improvise but I’d like to get one of those eventually too.
this is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/Guestway-Pressure-Vegetable-Stainless-Steaming/dp/B076RPTJQY/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=steel+stand+for+instant+pot&qid=1599060762&sr=8-3
You honestly don’t need it, just keep a bowl on the dal, it will be fine
Dear Manali – We live in USA. In this time of restricted life , I try to make lunch and dinner out of what I have, and avoid frequent grocery shopping. Daal is my favorite dish and I am trying variety for a change of taste! I liked your tarka daal recipe. It came out very well. I used one time ghee during tempering only for health reasons.
I do not have options for charcoal method here. Thank you very much for this recipe. I will look for more in future.
good to know 🙂
Just found this today and made it for lunch. Sooo good! I didn’t have a lot of time so I didn’t follow this method at all and it was STILL delicious! Next time I will follow step by step. I can only imagine how good it will be when I do.
Hello Manali
Today I was hunting for Dal tadka recipe. Found yours. Made it exactly your way.
You have explained it beautifully that it was easy for me to make. Second, smoked it..oh wow! It was superb. Third it was delectable. Not a drop was left. Though I added little more water than half a cup to make it the consistency of what we have. I have been asked to cook it again in the future. Thank you so much.
so glad to know Shivani 🙂
Amazing and easy recipe!! I’m just a teenager and all my family members loved it. Thankyou
Just made this tonight. I didn’t have methi so omitted that. Didn’t have green chilis so added a little extra chili powder and also added in some kale and chard from our garden. This was absolutely fantastic and growing up eating Indian food my whole life I know a good dal when I taste one!
Nice Recipe
hi, can you comment on how to make this if you don’t have a pressure cooker?
soak the dal for 2-3 hours and then cook in a pan until it’s soft and cooked through and then follow rest of the steps as it is.
Can you please share the link to what kind of charcoal to buy for this? Thanks ! Made the dal today and it was very yummy wo the charcoal but I do want to try with it too 🙂 THANKS!
You can find it where they have the summer grilling stuff/BBQ stuff at grocery stores, I use the one from Kingsford.
Going to try this Saturday! Do you end up mixing the ghee you pour over the charcoal into the actual dal? Or does it just smoke the inside and you discard the charcoal and the ghee you poured over the charcoal? I assume the ghee collects in the bottom of the small steel bowl.
No, discard! that hot ghee or oil is just to bring out the smoke from the charcoal, not to be added into the dal.
Question – what is your method for heating up the charcoal?
as shown in the pictures, direct over heat!
I tried this dal recipe….. It was amazing ?… yummy…. actually like dhaba…. my husband really loved it…. Shared the recipe with my sister also.
I tried this dal recipe….. I was amazing ?… yummy…. actually like dhaba…. my husband really loved it…. Shared the recipe with my sister also.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was yummy and liked by all. Though smokey effect will try next time. Thank you for the recipe.
Superb!
Do we need to dry roast the dhaniya before crushing them?
no
It is so nice so now I am forced to make it every week. We eat it with rice and/or paratha
how nice! 🙂
Trying out the recipe today.
Thank you for sharing. Dal was very delicious without the duhar
Love this recipe, and your recipes in general.
I’m in Canada, in my apartment in self-imposed seclusion, so don’t have the ability to use the dhungar method. I’ve tried adding a bit of liquid smoke, as the commenter above asked about, and it really is a pretty good substitute.
Hello, for a full meal, i’d like to know how is the dal tarka served. With vegetables aside? Bread/rice?
Rice, dal and rice is the classic combo 🙂
I made this recipe last week, and my husband, my son, and I really loved it! The flavor was amazing! I’m trying your Dhaba Dal recipe tonight!
hope you enjoy that too 🙂
Tastes so yummy and that smoky flavor, just one word wow
Don’t miss Restaurants of India any more..
yay 🙂
Hi! I tried this recipe for guests who came for dinner and it turned out to be fabulous! Simple and tasty! Restaurant style!
I haven’t bothered making dal in ages because it was always a bit dull when i made it myself. But this is now my favourite dal recipe! Although I cheated by just adding liquid smoke at the end.
absolutely delicious! I will double the recipe next time, it doesn’t make a lot and it’s a bit of work and clean up, but it’s SO worth it! I didn’t try the charcol, I just made the simpler version, but it is better than our local Indian restaurant! Thank you
Thank you for sharing this receipe…it was SO good. I can’t wait to try more of your dishes.
This one is definitely on our heavy rotation list.
The Dal Tadka turned out to be really authentic and yummy in taste
good to know 🙂
What kind of charcoal do you use? Is it the same as for bbq.
not the self-ignited one..that one has chemicals and you don’t want that. the simple charcoal is what I have used here
Hi Manali.Cooking dal’s which are rich and flavourful was never my forte.This Dal Tadka recipe was just awesome.I have followed so many recipes, but this one takes the cake.Thank you.I would love to have the recipe for dal makhani and a ‘whole ‘ moong dal recipe.
So glad you liked this Amrita! I have a super good Dal Makhani on the blog already 🙂 https://www.cookwithmanali.com/dal-makhani/ …will post whole moong dal too!
Hi there, I was wondering, rather than using charcoal, is it possible to just put in some liquid smoke to achieve the same effect? I’ve never used charcoal like this so I’m a little reticent. Thanks a lot.
You can try liquid smoked, I have never tried it
Did you try liquid smoke?
Hey. Your recipes have helped me get much closer to being able to cook like my mum since I moved out! I would be so grateful if you could conjure up a version if this daal without using a pressure cooker
Bhavesh, just soak the dal for 1-2 hours then drain the water. Put it in a pan, add water, turmeric and salt and cook the dal until it’s done. It will take some time on stove-top but will get cooked eventually. Then, just follow the rest of the steps as it is..hope this helps!
It was so good. One of the best dal recipe I tried out. Thanks alot
It was awesome- yummy dal!
Excellent!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely brilliant. Lovely flavours and simple to make. I didn’t have the things for the dhungar method so I’ll have to try in the future. Thanks Manali
Welcome! glad you liked it..do try the dhungar method..it makes for an amazing change! 🙂
yammi, look like very testy.
I will definitely try this recipe
This is an interesting take on our traditional Dal Tadka. Loved the addition of Dhungar method!
Thanks! Smokey flavor is awesome!
Thanks for sharing this recipe Manali, it was so good, better than restaurants. Dhungar method really makes all the difference.
Yummy dhal recipe. Let me try dear!, the dhal NI way!
Let me know how it turns out CV!
The result is amazing thank u