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Dal Tadka Restaurant Style

Dal Tadka Restaurant Style

This Dal Tadka Restaurant Style recipe is a simple, flavorful mix of toor and moong dal simmered with onion-tomato masala and finished with a hot garlic ghee tadka. It’s quick, comforting, and tastes just like your favorite Indian restaurant. Perfect with rice or roti.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • For Dal
  • ½ cup toor dal
  • ¼ cup moong dal
  • 1 small tomato chopped
  • 1 small onion optional
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cups water
For Masala
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp chopped ginger
  • 1 –2 green chillies
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 tomato finely chopped
  • ½ tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • Pinch of garam masala
For Tadka
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 4 –5 garlic slices
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 2 dried red chili
  • Pinch of hing
  • A little kasuri methi
  • Sprinkle of red chili powder

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure cooker or a deep pot
  • 2 A medium-sized kadhai or pan
  • 3 Wooden spoon
  • 4 Ladle
  • 5 Small tempering pan (optional… but honestly helps)
  • 6 Strainer (only if you want super-smooth dal)

Method
 

Step 1: Cook the Dal
  1. Rinse the toor + moong dal 2–3 times.
  2. Add dal to a pressure cooker with water, turmeric, salt, and tomato.
  3. Cook for 3–4 whistles until soft and mashable.
  4. Lightly mash the dal and keep it aside.
Step 2: Make the Masala
  1. Heat ghee in a pan.
  2. Add cumin → garlic → ginger → green chilies.
  3. Add onion and cook until light golden.
  4. Add tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
  5. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and a splash of water.
  6. Cook until the masala looks shiny.
Step 3: Combine Dal + Masala
  1. Pour the cooked dal into the masala pan.
  2. Adjust salt and water to your preferred thickness.
  3. Simmer for 5–7 minutes on low heat.
  4. Step 4: Prepare the Tadka (The Magic Step)
  5. Heat ghee in a small tadka pan.
  6. Add cumin and garlic slices — let them turn golden.
  7. Add dried red chilies, hing, and kasuri methi.
  8. Sprinkle a little red chili powder.
  9. Pour this hot tadka over the dal and immediately cover for 1 minute.

Notes

  • Add a pinch of smoked paprika or dhungar for a smoky restaurant flavor.
  • Increase garlic for a bold, dhaba-style taste.
  • Adjust water based on how thick you want the dal.