Everyday dal with turmeric

This is everyday dal, the kind that gets made in Indian homes most weeks. Yellow lentils simmered with turmeric until soft and creamy, then finished with a sizzling tadka of ghee, cumin, garlic and chilli poured over the top. It's cheap, filling, high in protein and fibre, and very forgiving.

Funny thing: Indian home cooks rarely use much turmeric. Even a big pot of dal usually gets a quarter to half a teaspoon. That's all you need for the colour and flavour. Use more and it starts tasting bitter. Below the recipe there's a full tadka guide, stovetop, pressure cooker and Instant Pot methods, the difference between dal tadka and dal fry, what to serve it with, and how to store it.

What is moong dal (and toor dal)?

"Dal" means both split lentils (or beans) and the soupy dish made from them. Yellow moong dal is split, skinned mung beans. It cooks fast, has no need for soaking, and turns soft and creamy. Toor dal (also called arhar or tuvar dal) is split pigeon peas. It takes longer, has a nuttier, earthier taste, and is the base for many everyday dals and sambar. This recipe works with either; just adjust the cooking time.

Ingredients and swaps

• Dal: yellow moong or toor dal. Red lentils (masoor) also work and cook in about 15 minutes.
• Ghee: gives the classic flavour to the tadka. Use oil (sunflower, mustard or coconut) for a vegan dal.
• Cumin and mustard seeds: cumin is a must; mustard seeds are more South Indian. Use either or both.
• Asafoetida (hing): a pinch adds a savoury, oniony depth and is traditional with lentils. Optional, but worth buying.
• Curry leaves: fresh ones are best, frozen are fine. Skip if you can't find them.
• Tomato, ginger, green chilli: optional, but they make the dal itself tastier, not just the tadka.

Everyday dal with turmeric

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Creamy yellow lentils with a sizzling cumin and garlic tadka. Cheap, filling and high in protein.

Prep

10 min

Cook

30 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Ingredients

For the dal

• 1 cup (200 g) yellow moong dal or toor dal
• 3 cups (720 ml) water, plus 1/2 to 1 cup hot water to adjust
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp oil or ghee (stops it foaming over)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tomato, chopped; 1 tsp grated ginger; 1 green chilli, slit (all optional)

For the tadka

• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 to 2 dried red chillies
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing), optional
• 6 to 8 curry leaves (optional)
• 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (optional, for colour)

To finish

• Chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Rinse the dal in a bowl of water 3 times, until the water is fairly clear. If you're using toor dal, soak it in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.
2. Put the dal in a pot with the 3 cups of water, the turmeric, 1 tsp oil, and the tomato, ginger and green chilli if using. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
3. Simmer with the lid partly on, stirring every 5 minutes or so and adding a splash of hot water if it gets too thick. Moong dal takes about 20 to 25 minutes; toor dal about 30 to 45 minutes. It's done when it falls apart when you press it.
4. Whisk or mash it until creamy. Add the salt, then loosen with hot water until it's like a thick soup. It thickens as it cools.
5. For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and then the cumin, and let them sizzle for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the garlic and dried chillies and fry until the garlic is light golden.
6. Take the pan off the heat and quickly add the curry leaves, hing and chilli powder (they burn fast).
7. Pour the sizzling tadka straight over the dal. Top with coriander and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with rice or roti.

Pressure cooker: cook the dal with 2 cups water, turmeric and oil. Moong dal needs 2 to 3 whistles, toor dal 3 to 4. Let the pressure drop, then stir in a cup of hot water. Instant Pot: 8 to 10 minutes on high pressure, then natural release.

Approx. per serving (1 of 4): about 245 calories and 12 g protein, made with moong dal and 2 tbsp ghee in the tadka. Worked out from USDA values.

Recipe from turmaslim.com/recipes/turmeric-dal.html

How to make a perfect tadka

The tadka (also called tempering or chhonk) is where most of the flavour comes from. It's spices bloomed in hot fat, poured over the dal at the last minute. Get these right and your dal will taste like it came from someone's grandmother:

1. Get the ghee hot, but not smoking. Drop in one cumin seed: if it sizzles straight away, you're ready.
2. Seeds first. Mustard seeds go in first and pop; then cumin, which should sizzle and turn a shade darker in 10 to 20 seconds.
3. Garlic and dried chilli next. Fry until the garlic is light golden. Brown garlic tastes bitter.
4. Powders off the heat. Hing, chilli powder and curry leaves burn in seconds. Take the pan off the heat before adding them.
5. Pour immediately over the hot dal, and hear it sizzle. Cover the pot for a minute to trap the aroma.

Dal tadka vs dal fry

In a dal tadka, the cooked dal is finished with a tempering poured over the top at the end, like this recipe. In a dal fry, you cook onions, tomatoes and spices into a masala first, then mix the cooked dal into it and simmer, so the flavours are cooked through. Restaurant dal tadka often does both. At home, the simple tadka version is quicker and lighter.

Tips so your dal comes out right

• Don't burn the tadka. This is the number one way to ruin dal. Seeds should sizzle, not turn black, and garlic should be golden, not brown.
• Add salt after the dal is soft, especially in a pressure cooker. Salt and acidic tomato can slow down softening.
• Toor dal won't soften? It's usually old dal or hard water. Soak it for 1 to 2 hours and cook longer.
• Too thick or sticky? Moong dal thickens a lot as it stands. Just whisk in hot water until it's how you like it.
• Too thin? Simmer it uncovered for a few minutes, stirring.
• Keep turmeric to 1/2 teaspoon or less per cup of dal. Indian home cooks on Reddit's r/Cooking say even a big pot rarely gets more than a teaspoon.
• No single right way. Every family and region makes dal differently. Once you've made it a couple of times, play with it.

Stovetop vs pressure cooker vs Instant Pot

Whichever method you use, add hot water after cooking to get the thickness you like.

Easy dal variations

• Palak dal: stir 2 big handfuls of chopped spinach into the cooked dal and simmer for 2 minutes before the tadka.
• Dal with vegetables: add diced carrot, pumpkin or bottle gourd (lauki) with the dal so they cook together. More fibre, same effort.
• Masoor dal: use red lentils for the fastest dal of all, about 15 minutes on the stove.
• Dal fry style: fry a chopped onion and tomato with the tadka until soft, then stir the dal into it and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Lemony South Indian style: use mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli in the tadka, and finish with more lemon.

What to serve with dal

• Plain basmati, jeera (cumin) rice or turmeric rice
• Roti, chapati, paratha or naan
• A dry vegetable side, like turmeric roasted cauliflower or aloo (potato) sabzi
• Plain yoghurt or raita, sliced onion with lemon, and a pickle or papad

Is dal healthy?

Very. Lentils are one of the best-value sources of plant protein and fibre around, and they're low in fat until you add the tadka. A bowl of dal with rice gives you a filling, balanced meal. If you're watching calories, use 1 tablespoon of ghee in the tadka instead of 2, and serve with plenty of vegetables. For more on the turmeric that gives dal its colour, read our turmeric guide.

Storage and make-ahead

Dal keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for about 3 months. It sets thick when cold, so add water when you reheat and stir until it's smooth. For the best flavour, store the dal without the tadka, then make a fresh tadka just before serving.

Questions about this recipe

What's the difference between moong dal and toor dal?

Moong dal (split yellow mung beans) cooks faster and is lighter and creamier. Toor dal (split pigeon peas) takes longer and has a nuttier, earthier taste. Both work here.

How much turmeric goes in dal?

About 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dry lentils. Add it with the cooking water so it cooks long enough to lose any raw taste.

Do I need to soak moong dal?

No. Yellow moong dal cooks quickly without soaking. Soaking toor dal for 30 minutes to 2 hours speeds it up, especially if it's old.

Can I make dal without onion and garlic?

Yes. Leave out the garlic and use a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and extra ginger in the tadka. That's a very common way to make it.

Why is my dal bitter?

Usually a burnt tadka or too much turmeric. Fry garlic only to light golden, add powdered spices off the heat, and keep turmeric to 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dal.

Can I add kasuri methi?

Yes. Crush a teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and add it to the tadka off the heat, or stir it into the dal at the end. It gives a lovely, slightly bitter, restaurant-style flavour.

Is dal good for weight loss?

Dal is filling thanks to its protein and fibre, which can help you eat less overall. Keep the ghee in the tadka to about a tablespoon and serve it with vegetables and a modest portion of rice or roti.

Why is there foam when cooking dal?

Lentils release starch and protein that foam as they boil. Skim it off with a spoon, and add a teaspoon of oil or ghee to the pot to keep it from boiling over.

General information only, not medical advice.