Dal Tadka or Dal Fry

Tadka Dal is a Dal tempered with onions, tomatoes and a few spices.  For Dal Fry, you can use a combination of protein rich dals like mung dal, urad dal, toor dal or just any one.  You can use this recipe for leftover dal as well.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal/Yellow Pigeon Peas - 1/4 cup

Mung dal/Green Gram - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 medium

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Garlic - 5 cloves

Tomato - 1 medium

Green Chillies - 4

Dry Red Chillies - 2

Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig

Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs
Oil or Butter - 1 tbsp
Jaggery or Molasses or Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt

Method:

1. Wash the dals and cook the dals with about 3 cups water till soft.  I used a pressure cooker.
2. Finely chop onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and cilantro leaves.  Pat the curry leaves dry.  Slit the green chillies lengthwise.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok and add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, red chillies and curry leaves.  Saute for a minute. Add onions, green chillies and saute till onions turn soft.  Now add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes turn soft.
4. Lastly, add the cooked dal, salt and molasses.  Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with plain rice, jeera rice and/or roti.