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Dhaba Style Dal Tadka

Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Serves 4

Soft toor dal, a simple onion-tomato masala, and a hot tadka poured on top. This is the dal you want on a Tuesday — with roti, with rice, or straight from the bowl.

It tastes like a dhaba, but the steps stay beginner-friendly. A pressure cooker takes about 20 minutes. A pot works too.

Thoughtsout
Home dal is best when the last tadka is hot, the ghee is lively, and cumin fills the kitchen.

For the dal

• 1 cup toor dal (arhar dal), rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the masala

• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 1 dry red chili
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

For the finishing tadka

• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• A pinch of red chili powder (optional)
• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• Lemon wedge, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse the toor dal until the water runs clear. Add it to a pressure cooker with 3 cups water, turmeric, and salt.
2. Pressure cook for 3–4 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure drop on its own. Open and mash the dal lightly with a spoon. It should be soft and pourable. No cooker? Simmer in a pot 35–40 minutes.
3. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add cumin seeds. When they crackle, add hing, the dry red chili, and sliced garlic. Cook 20–30 seconds — do not burn the garlic.
4. Add the chopped onion. Sauté until it turns light golden.
5. Add the tomato, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Cook until the tomato is soft and the oil starts to separate, about 4–5 minutes.
6. Pour this masala into the cooked dal. Mix well. Simmer on low heat for 3–4 minutes. If the dal is too thick, add a splash of hot water. Taste and add salt if needed.
7. For the last tadka: heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a small pan. Add cumin and garlic. When the garlic is golden, switch off the heat and add a pinch of chili powder if you like.
8. Pour this hot tadka over the dal. It should sizzle. Top with fresh coriander. Serve hot with roti, rice, or kachumber.

Tips

• If the dal is thin, simmer two extra minutes without a lid. If it is too thick, add hot water, not cold.
• Keep the last tadka quite hot. That smoky edge is what makes it taste like dhaba dal.
• For no onion-garlic, skip both. Cook with cumin, hing, dry chili, tomato, and spices only.
• A knob of butter at the end makes it richer for guests.