Tadka Dal | Indian Recipes | Maunika Gowardhan

Method In a medium sauce pan add the moong dal with the water and turmeric powder. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to a medium, partially cover with lid and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir a few times through the cooking process. Add a little more water if the mix is too thick. Cool slightly and roughly mash with a potato masher or a hand blender and set aside. In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat, add the asafoetida, slit green chillies and cumin seeds; fry for a few seconds. Now add the curry leaves and garlic continue to fry for 5 seconds. Put in the tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes. At this stage, tip in the cooked dal and stir well. Season to taste, add a pinch of sugar, simmer gently for 2-3 minutes on a low heat stirring halfway through. Turn the heat off and add lemon juice and garnish with coriander. Serve hot with your choice of bread or plain rice.Note: If you’d like the dal to be thicker simmer for an additional 2 minutes without a lid making sure to stir well.