Tarka dal
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 2
Cheap, delicious and healthy – tarka dal is the perfect comfort food supper and great for batch cooking. Serve it alone or alongside your favourite curry.
For this recipe you will need a food processor or mini chopper.
Each serving provides 650 kcal, 30g protein, 77g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 21.5g fat (of which 2g saturates), 14g fibre and 0.7g salt.
By Anjum Anand
Ingredients
- 250g/9oz chana dal (split dried chickpeas), rinsed until the water runs clear
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3–4 whole green chillies, pricked with a knife
- 2cm/¾in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 3 medium tomatoes
- ¾ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp garam masala
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put the lentils and 900ml/1¾ pints water into a saucepan. Stir well and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth that forms on the surface using a spoon. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 35–40 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender, adding more water if necessary.
When the lentils have cooked through, remove the pan from the heat and use a whisk to break them down. Set the mixture aside to thicken and cool.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 20–30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the onion, chillies and ginger and fry for 4–5 minutes, or until the onion is soften and golden.
Blend the garlic and tomatoes to a purée in a food processor or mini chopper. Add the purée to the pan and stir well to combine.
Add the ground spices and 100ml/3½fl oz water to the pan. Stir well to combine and season, to taste, with salt. Simmer over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the oil from the sauce has risen to the surface.
Add the cooked lentils to the sauce and stir well, adding more water as necessary to loosen the mixture. Bring the mixture to the boil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving.
Recipe tips
The chana dal need to be rinsed thoroughly until the water runs clear before using. This will remove any residues and help them soften while cooking.
Tarka dal freezes well. Allow it to cool, divide into portions and store in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan or the microwave until piping hot.
