Restaurant Style Yellow Dal Tadka Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 255kcal
Make this delicious Restaurant-Style Yellow Dal Tadka at home in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients. This popular Indian recipe can be made in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker (can be easily made vegan and gluten-free).
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Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow pigeon peas (arhar dal, toor dal) or pink masoor
- ¼ cup skinless petite yellow lentils (yellow moong dal)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoons ghee replace with oil for vegan dal
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) skip for gluten-free dal
- 2-3 whole dry red chilies
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander)
Instructions
Cook The Lentils In An Instant Pot
- Wash arhar dal and moong dal with water 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear.
- Soak the lentils in 2-3 cups of water and keep aside.
- Press SAUTE button of the instant pot.
- Once it says hot, add oil to the inner pot.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add onions and fry until they turn light brown in color (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add green chilies and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently while cooking.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder, and cook for a minute.
- Drain the water from the lentils and add them to the pot along with 3 cups of water, and salt, and stir well.
- Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes on high pressure. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and to start the timer.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a cloth or a spoon to move the valve to avoid steam burn. Open the lid of the pot.
- Add lime juice to the pot and mix the cooked dal well using a wire whisk or a madani until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add some more water if the dal is thick for your liking and bring it to a boil by pressing the SAUTE button.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Set the cooked dal aside.
Cook The Lentils In A Traditional Pressure Cooker
- Wash arhar dal and moong dal with water 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear.
- Soak the lentils in 2-3 cups of water and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add onions and fry until they turn light brown in color (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add green chilies and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently while cooking.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder, and cook for a minute.
- Add the dal to the pot along with 3 cups of water, and salt and stir well.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid of the cooker.
- Add 1 tablespoon lime juice to the pot and mix the cooked dal well using a wire whisk or a madani until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add some more water if the dal is thick for your liking and bring it to a boil.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Set the cooked dal aside.
Temper The Dal
- Once the lentils are cooked, let’s give them a tempering. Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and asafetida and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add dry red chilies and garlic and fry until it turns golden brown in color. Keep stirring frequently.
- Switch off the heat and add Kashmiri red chili powder to the pan.
- Pour the tempering immediately over the dal and mix well.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
Smoky Flavor - The dal tadka that we taste at the dhabas or restaurants has a very distinct smoky flavor. That is because they are made on a wood fire.
To get a similar smoky flavor at home, you can dhungar your dal once it's made. To do it, heat a piece of coal (or a whole cinnamon stick) over direct flame until it is red hot. Keep a steel bowl in the center of the dal.
Keep the hot coal piece in the bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee over the coal and immediately close the lid of the pan. Let the dal absorb the smoke for 10-15 minutes. Open the lid and discard the coal. Pour the leftover ghee into the dal and mix well. Your smoky dal is ready.
You can also cook the lentils in a pot over the stovetop. This method takes a lot of time and is not recommended. But in case you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook them this way. You will have to add more water and cook for a longer time.
Nutrition
Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 580mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 5mg