Tarka Dhal

Tarka Dhal is a kind of thick, spicy soup usually served with warm chapatis or naan bread which you use to scoop it up. A Tarka is a dish using ingredients cooked in a spiced butter/oil which is added (in this case) to cooked lentils.

Ingredients - 300g (90z) red lentils, washed and drained, 850ml (30fl oz) water (or vegetable Stock), 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped, 1 medium onion roughly chopped, 2 tomatoes finely chopped, 1 tsp salt, 30g (1oz) butter,1/4 tsp, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tbsp fresh coriander for garnish.

Method - Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear to remove any dust or powdered lentil. Bring the water or stock to the boil and add the washed lentils/dal. Add the turmeric and ground coriander, stir and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft (tip: cook the lentils for as long as you can to ensure softness - you cant over do them). Cook until the water is absorbed, if they go dry and are not soft, simply add more water.
Add the butter to a large frying pan and cook gently with the cumin seeds and asafoetida for a few seconds, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry until the onions just start to brown. When done, add the chopped tomatoes, leaves and chilli powder and continue cooking for another few minutes. (This is your Tarka).
Add the dal to the tarka and stir well.
Add salt to taste and stir in well.
The finished Tarka Dhal should be soft and runny, if required add more water.
Serve with a few knobs of butter on top of the dal and sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves on top to garnish. Serve with naan or chapatti.
This dish freezes very well.
If you already have a basic curry sauce ready, cook the lentils and mix with the sauce to make a dal just as effectively