Yellow Dal Tadka | Dal tadka recipe

Yellow Dal Tadka is a popular Indian stew made from toor dal or split pigeon peas and tempered with a flavorful blend of Indian spices that are pantry staples. It’s a comfort food that tastes heavenly and holds a special part of every Indian vegetarian meal, be it lunch or dinner.

Growing up in a South Indian household, Mom did not make yellow dal tadka every day for lunch. However, it frequented the dinner table on weeknights. Mom would serve it with freshly cooked rice or chappatis. A simple dal tadka is a comfort food that reminds me of home.

Whenever we ate North Indian food at restaurants, Dad always ordered yellow dal tadka and a Paneer side dish to go with naan and pulao. I always wondered why he ordered dal in a restaurant when it was a staple at home. Now that I’m an adult, I completely relate and would never miss eating my dal even in restaurants.

What is Yellow Dal Tadka made of?

Yellow Dal Tadka is a popular Indian stew made from toor dal or split pigeon peas and tempered with a flavorful blend of Indian spices that are pantry staples. The tempering differs for every family’s dal tadka recipe. It can be as simple as just cumin seeds to a blend of assorted spices. No matter what the tempering comprises of, it’s a comfort food that tastes heavenly and holds a special part of every Indian vegetarian meal, be it lunch or dinner.

My Yellow Dal Tadka Recipe

I use toor dal in this recipe which is the most common dal used every day in Indian households. It’s a pantry staple and a rich protein and fiber source.

I also use freshly ground ginger garlic and chili paste. It makes a world of difference when compared to the store-bought ginger garlic paste. Take the extra effort to grind it fresh and notice the difference in taste.

I use freshly ground coriander seeds and cloves to boost the flavor of my toor dal tadka. Simple things like crushing your spices in a mortar pestle take the flavor profile of this humble dal to the next level.

Is Yellow Dal good for health?

• Yellow dal is rich in protein. When paired with rice, it make the meal a complete amino acid profile.
• Is is rich in fiber which helps in easing constipation. The fiber also helps lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Yellow dal is rich in iron and folate. It’s an excellent meal for vegetarian pregnant women.

This Yellow Dal Tadka

• Is Vegetarian
• Is Protein rich and iron rich
• Is full of fiber
• Takes less than 20 minutes to make
• Is a comfort food

Check out other Indian main course recipes

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Spinach Masiyal

Curd Rice

Beetroot pulao

Ingredients for Yellow Dal Tadka

Toor dal

Split yellow pigeon peas or Toor dal is one of the most popular lentils used in everyday Indian cooking.

Coriander seeds

Coriander seeds lend a nutty flavor to any dish it’s added to.

Cloves

Cloves give the dish a sharp and spicy note and mimic the Dhungar effect. Use freshly ground cloves for optimum flavor.

Ginger Garlic Green chili paste

This flavorsome trio elevates the homemade dal to restaurant-style dal tadka.

Onion

You can use big or small onions. I’ve used big red onions.

Tomato

Tomatoes lend a sour note to this yellow dal tadka. Depending on your sourness preference, use your favorite variety of tomatoes.

Kasoori Methi

Kasoori methi is dried methi leaves. When used towards the end of cooking in any North Indian dish, it amps up the flavor and aids in digestion.

Coriander leaves/Cilantro

Cilantro also known as Coriander leaves is a staple in all Indian dishes. Use fresh leaves for the best flavor.

Ghee

Use fresh ghee for full flavor. I like to use freshly made homemade ghee.

Step by step method to make Yellow Dal Tadka

Cooking dal

Take dal in a vessel and pour three times the quantity of water to it. Add turmeric powder and salt. Pressure cook it for 4 whistles. Adding salt ensures that the dal doesn’t get mashed. I like to have some texture in my dal tadka. 

Prep work for Yellow dal tadka

Meanwhile, chop onion and tomato into bite-sized pieces. 

Crush coriander seeds and cloves in a mortar pestle. Keep it aside. Add ginger, garlic and green chilies to mortar pestle and crush it to a paste. You should be able to smell the wonderful flavor of the paste. Store bought paste will not come even close to the freshly ground ginger garlic chili paste. 

Tempering

In a pan add ghee and once it’s hot add cumin seeds. 

Once it starts spluttering and turns slightly brown, add the coriander cloves powder. Give it a stir.

Add chopped onions and give it a stir. Cook till the onions turn transparent. 

Add the crushed ginger garlic and green chili paste. Mix well and cook till the raw smell goes away, for about 2 minutes. 

Cooking the yellow dal tadka

Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and salt. Give it a stir. Close the pan with a lid and cook covered on medium low flame for 3-4 minutes or till the tomatoes turn mushy. 

Add the cooked dal and required quantity of water to bring the dal tadka to a desired consistency. I added ¼ cup of water.

Bring it to a boil and simmer on low flame for 2-3 minutes or till it reaches the desired consistency. 

Add kasoori methi, coriander leaves and garam masala. Check if the salt is sufficient and add more if required. 

Tempering and Garnishing

At this stage you can make a second tadka by heating some ghee and adding some crushed garlic, asafoetida, and red chili powder. Make sure that you turn off heat before adding red chili powder to ensure that it doesn’t burn. 

Turn off heat and squeeze some lemon juice into it. This step is optional but it adds a zing to your yellow dal tadka and increases the iron absorption by three times. I always add lemon juice to any iron rich food that I consume. Being a vegetarian woman I always find ways to optimize iron absorption to prevent iron deficiency anemia.

Serve it hot with rice, jeera rice, pulao or chapatis.