Daal Tadka
If you’re feeling the effects of different, or excess foods and drinks that can come with social, and away from home times, this simple tempered lentil dish is a great soother, cleanser, and reset for body-mind.
This one is made with mung daal – split mung beans. These quick-cook treasures are a protein and fiber-packed legume that creates a hearty, creamy, porridge-like consistency, perfect for comfort food.
Another favorite legume for this recipe is toor daal – split pigeon peas. Also quick to cook, these offer a different nutty taste and flakier texture, maintaining their shape more than mung daal.
Split red lentils can also be used (more aggravating for vata types), giving yet another flavor and texture variation.
Or…you can mix it up with 50:50 combinations to get various flavor and nutrient combos (or use whatever you have in the cupboard to equate with the volume for the recipe).
Recipe
Allow 1/2 cup daal per person:
- 1 cup mung daal (or alternative legume – see above)
- 2-3 large dried chilies (deseed)
- Choose your heat and taste preference – Kashmiri are milder than other dried chilies and offer a sweeter taste.
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 2-3 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 tsp salt (more for vata, less for kapha)
- To serve – add ghee/flax seed oil, additional salt to taste, chopped fresh coriander if available
Method:
- Rinse mung daal until water runs clear (there’s no need to pre-soak).
- For each cup of daal, add 3 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, add salt, and simmer for 30 minutes (or until soft).
- Meanwhile, heat a dry fry pan on medium to high heat – the pan should start to smoke.
- Add sliced or chopped dried chilies (remove seeds).
- Add cumin seeds.
- Cook, shaking until aromatic and slightly smoky.
Reduce heat and add:
- Ground spices.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- A little water to create a paste (substitute with oil or more water if you don’t have a non-stick pan).
- Cook the paste for 1 minute.
- Add tempered spice paste to cooked daal, or vice versa and stir through.
Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes with the lid on to develop flavours.
Serve:
- Either stir through 1 tbsp ghee or oil in the pan, or add to your bowl once served.
- Add salt to taste and garnish with fresh coriander if available/to your taste.
- Serve just as it is or with steamed rice or simple plain chapati or roti.
A favourite chutney on the side makes a lovely complementary flavour, texture, and way to bring in the 6 tastes of Ayurveda to your meal.
