Tarka Dal

A traditional Indian vegetarian lentil dish that even carnivores will love.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings people

To make the dal, place both dal in a large saucepan and pour over 3 pints of water.
175 g split mung beans, 175 g red lentils
Add the chillies, the turmeric and salt and bring to the boil.
2 tsp birds eye chillies, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp salt
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
2 tbsp sunflower oil, 30 g butter
Add the cumin, garlic, ginger, onion and tomatoes and cook for 12–15 minutes.
1 medium onion, 2 medium tomatoes, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 5 cloves garlic, 3 cm ginger
When the dal is cooked, stir in the onion and tomato mixture and the garam masala, bring back to the boil, then remove from the heat.
2 tsp garam masala
Garnish with coriander before serving with the chapatis.
1 bunch coriander

By aimee rivers (Flickr: Tarka Daal) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons