Name: Dal Tadka (Tempered Lentils)
Yield: 4 cups
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Red Lentils; 800 g Water; 2 g Turmeric; 4 g Salt; 30 g Ghee; 5 g Cumin Seed; 80 g Onion; 10 g Garlic; 6 g Ginger; 100 g Tomato; 2 g Kashmiri Chili Powder; 3 g Garam Masala; 10 g Cilantro

Dal Tadka (Tempered Lentils)

soft lentils finished with sizzled spice

Makes 4 cups · 271 kcal per serving

Ingredients

200 g Red Lentils
800 g Water
2 g Turmeric
4 g Salt
30 g Ghee
5 g Cumin Seed
80 g Onion
10 g Garlic
6 g Ginger
100 g Tomato
2 g Kashmiri Chili Powder
3 g Garam Masala
10 g Cilantro

Method

Dal: Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Simmer them with the water and turmeric, skimming the foam, until they collapse into a loose purée, 20–25 min. Stir in the salt and keep it soupier than you want it; it thickens as it sits.
Tadka: Heat the ghee in a small pan until it shimmers and add the cumin seed. When it darkens and smells toasted, ~20 sec, add the onion and cook until browned at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger, then the tomato, and cook until the tomato breaks down and the fat separates out. Take it off the heat, stir in the chili powder and garam masala so they bloom without scorching, and pour the whole thing into the dal. Stir once, leaving it streaky, and finish with the cilantro.