Red Lentil Dal with Cumin Tarka
A thick, comforting red lentil dal simmered with ginger and warm spices, finished with a sizzling cumin seed tarka and a squeeze of lemon.
- Total
- 37 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 29
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Blooming spices · Simmering
- Standard
- Savory
- Indian
- Comforting
- Mild
- Stovetop
Instructions
-
Finely chop the onion. Mince the garlic and grate the fresh ginger. Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain.
~8 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the dal cooks up creamy rather than gluey.
-
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, and 1/2 tsp of the garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
~6 min
Blooming spices in hot oil dissolves their fat-soluble flavors, making the dal taste deeper and more aromatic.
Blooming spices Add ground spices to hot oil for about a minute until fragrant; if they darken or smell acrid, the heat is too high and they will taste bitter.
-
Add the canned chopped tomatoes, red lentils, 700 ml water, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft and the dal is thick, about 18 minutes. Stir occasionally and add 50 ml hot water if it gets too thick.
~18 min
Simmering uncovered lets water evaporate so the dal thickens and the lentils break down into a soft puree.
Simmering Keep the dal at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, and stir occasionally so the lentils cook evenly without scorching on the bottom.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the dal simmers, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry until they sizzle and darken slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
~1 min
Frying cumin seeds in oil toasts them, releasing nutty aromatics that raw seeds lack.
Fry the cumin seeds just until they sizzle and smell toasty; if they turn dark brown they will taste bitter.
-
Stir the coconut milk and baby spinach into the dal. Cook until the spinach wilts and the dal is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tsp garam masala and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt.
~3 min
Stirring in coconut milk and spinach off the boil keeps the coconut creamy and the spinach bright green.
-
Ladle the dal into bowls and spoon the cumin seed tarka over the top. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
~2 min