dal

1 cup (200g) split yellow lentils (moong dal)

  • soak lentils in water for 15 minutes, then drain

1 to 2 tbsp. neutral oil
1 medium onion, diced

  • heat oil until shimmering, then sauté onions until softened (5-7 minutes)
  • (optional) cook an additional 5-10 minutes until well-browned for added flavor

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1” fresh ginger, grated
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped

  • add to onions and stir frequently for 60-90 seconds until fragrant

1 tsp. Madras curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. turmeric

  • add to onions and stir constantly for 30 seconds

drained lentils
2 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste

  • add and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and loosely cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes, adding additional water as needed to maintain consistency

14.5 oz. canned tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  • add tomatoes and cook until broken down, about 4-5 minutes (more time will be needed if substituting fresh, which can be puréed to speed things up)
  • add cilantro, adjust seasoning, and serve with tadka

tadka

2 tbsp. neutral oil 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds pinch asafetida 10 fresh curry leaves 1-2 dried red chilies

  • heat oil in smallest pan
  • add mustard seeds and swirl pan until they start to pop
  • add cumin seeds, then remaining ingredients, swirling for 15-30 seconds until curry leaves start to shrivel
  • remove from heat and pour immediately over dal

source: https://rainbowplantlife.com/restaurant-style-vegan-dal-tadka/

03/21/26: 2 cups of water was way too little, so i added the third cup — which was way too much. so start with 2 cups and add more as needed.

08/27/26: this is great, but you can make a much easier version by heating oil in a saucepan, adding dry/powder versions of the spices for a minute, adding soaked dal, and simmering for 30 minutes. dal