Organic mixed dal tadka is made of 5 different lentils: red lentils, split chickpea lentils, split black gram, split pigeon peas and split green mung beans. As these lentils are split they don’t require to be soaked for a long time before cooking. This makes it easy to digest. This Indian dish is high in dietary fiber and an excellent source of protein. Once the mixed dal is cooked, tempered spices are added, which is known as tadka. The tempered spices add flavor to the dal preparation. Organic mixed dal tadka is vegetarian and gluten-free. For a vegan version, just replace the butter or ghee with oil.
Organic Mixed Dal Tadka
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed lentils organic (130g)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil cold-pressed, organic
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt/sea salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric organic
- 1 inch cinnamon stick organic
- 3 cloves organic
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds organic
- 1 tsp cumin organic
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing organic
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper organic
- 1 tbsp ghee/butter organic
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 tin tomatoes organic, chopped, blended
- 2 tsp coriander and cumin powder organic
- 1/4 tsp garam masala organic
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder organic
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder organic
- 1 tsp tamarind paste organic
- 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro chopped, fresh
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 green chilli chopped
Instructions
Cook the dal
- Soak 1 cup of mixed lentils for 3 hours if you are using a pressure cooker to make the preparation. If not, soak it overnight.
- Wash and drain the lentils until the water runs clear. Add water to the pan, boil the lentils, and remove the froth.
- Add 1tsp of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric.
- Cook the dal in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles or 30 minutes. If you're using a pan, boil it for an hour until the lentils are soft and cooked.
Prepare the ‘tadka’ dal
- To a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil at medium to high heat
- Add 1 inch stick of cinnamon and 3 cloves
- Add 1 tsp of black mustard seeds. Wait for them to start popping. Turn the heat down a little when that happens.
- Add ½ tsp cumin seeds, followed by ¼ tsp of asafoetida, and curry leaves
- Thereafter, add chopped onions followed by a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Stir the onions on medium heat, till they turn golden brown.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee or butter, and then add garlic/ginger/green chili to it. Lower the heat if required, and ensure that you do not burn the garlic/ginger. Cook the same for 3-4 mins until the onions start to brown.
- Add ½ a tin of tomatoes, followed by coriander/ cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and Kashmiri chilli powder (a spicy variant of red chill powder). Cook for 10 mins and stir.
- Add 1 tsp of tamarind paste (this is optional. One can also use 1tsp of lemon juice instead of the tamarind paste). Cook with a lid for 15-20 mins until the tomatoes separate from the oil.
- Take off the heat and add this ‘tadka’ to the boiled lentils
- Add coriander leaves to the preparation.
- When the dal is cooked remove cinnamon sticks and the whole cloves before serving.
Notes
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