Moong Dal Tadka Recipe - Yellow Lentils Curry
This moong dal tadka recipe is light, flavorful, and easy enough to make for an everyday meal. Cook the dal until soft and creamy, then top with a sizzling tempering of spices and other aromatics.
Ingredients
For Cooking Dal
- ½ cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
- 2 cups water
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 chopped medium tomatoes
- 1 chopped green chili
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tbsp oil
For Tadka
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp cumin/mustard seeds
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- ½ tsp red chili powder/kashmiri lal mirch
- 2 dried red chilies
Instructions
- Take the yellow lentils in a bowl and rinse 3 to 4 times in clean water.
- Now heat oil with cumin seeds in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
- When the seeds start sizzling, add chopped onion and saute until it turns golden.
- Then add chopped tomatoes and saute until soft.
- After a minute, add turmeric powder, green chili, and salt. Saute all of them until the tomatoes are fully soft and the raw smell is gone.
- When the tomato masala releases oil, add the yellow lentils with water.
- Mix well, cover the cooker lid, or pressure cook on high heat for 3 to 4 whistles, then turn off the flame.
- When the pressure drops, open the lid, and the lentils are fully soft.
- Now heat ghee in a small pan with all the ingredients mentioned in the tadka section.
- Saute all of them until the chilies crackle.
- When it's done, pour it over hot cooked dal.
- Serve it hot with roti or rice.
Notes
- Rinse the moong dal well to remove excess starch and keep the dal cleaner.
- Don't overcook the dal; cook it just soft or creamy without turning it completely mushy.
- Dal naturally thickens as it sits, so add a little hot water before serving to adjust consistency.
- Keep the heat moderate while preparing tadka; make sure the tempering does not burn.