Step 1

Thoroughly rinse 1 cup tuvar dal (arhar dal, or split & husked pigeon pea lentils) in water. Add them to a 3-litre pressure cooker.No pressure cooker? You can also cook the lentils in a pot. Soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot.

Step 2

Add ½ cup chopped onions, 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes, 1 or 2 green chilies (1 teaspoon of chopped Anaheim pepper or Serrano pepper can be subbed for green chillies) and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.

Step 3

Pour 2.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker. If cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups of water can be added.

Step 4

Add ½ turmeric powder and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing). If you do not have asafoetida, then skip it. Mix well.

Step 5

Pressure cook the lentils for about 7-8 whistles, or until they become soft and creamy. Mash the cooked lentils with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. If the consistency looks thick, then add about ½ - 1 cup water (depending on the thickness) to get a medium consistency. Simmer dal for 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 6

Once the desired consistency is reached, add 1-2 tablespoons low-fat cream (optional), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt to taste. Switch off the the heat.

Step 7

Mix well so that everything combines uniformly. Taste and adjust salt before adding tadka.

Step 8

To get the smoky fumes of burnt charcoal like you would in a restaurant, you'll want to follow the dhungar method. Using tongs, place a small piece of charcoal on a grill pan like shown in the photo below. Burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot. Please be sure to use natural charcoal for this method, avoiding anything that has a flame accelerant added. Note that this is an optional step - you can proceed directly to the tempering method.

Step 9

Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. You can also use a halved hollow onion instead of the bowl.

Step 10

Pour about ¼ tsp of oil or ghee on the charcoal. You will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal.

Step 11

Place this bowl on the dal.

Step 12

Cover the cooker or pot with a lid and let the dal get infused. Only smoke for 1-2 minutes. Do not keep for a long time, or you'll risk making the dal taste bitter. Remove the bowl carefully with the help of tongs and cover the cooker with a lid. Set aside.

Step 13

Next, heat 3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan over low-medium heat. First, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw, but be careful not burn them.

Step 14

Now add 2 to 3 dry red chilies, a generous pinch of asafoetida, and 5-6 medium sized garlic cloves which have been finely chopped. Let the garlic brown lightly and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the garlic.

Step 15

Lastly, add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (fenugreek seeds) and ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper. Mix well and turn off the stove.

Step 16

Pour entire tempering along with the oil or ghee into the dal.

Step 17

You can either mix the dal with tempering, or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. I personally like the aesthetic of having the tadka floating on top. Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Step 18

Serving Suggestion: Serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice (cumin rice), or with roti, naan or paratha.