Dal Tadka – The Bowl That Knows Me Best

🌿 The Kind of Bowl That Listens…

Some days, you don’t want fancy.
You don’t want fried, buttered, layered, or baked.

You want a bowl.
Of dal.
That knows your tiredness.
That welcomes your mood without asking questions.
That smells like home and hisses like ghee meeting a hot tadka pan.

Dal Tadka is that bowl for me.




✨ It Doesn’t Pretend to Be Fancy

It doesn’t need cashews or cream.
It doesn’t show off on Instagram.
But it always gets polished off first.

It’s soft yellow lentils simmered with turmeric.
It’s garlic that speaks louder than gossip.
It’s red chilies dancing in ghee.
It’s a warm hug with a cumin-scented punch.




🫓 How I Make It – The Way My Kitchen Likes

Boil the Dal:

½ cup toor dal, rinsed

2 cups water

½ tsp turmeric

A pinch of hing

Salt

Pressure cook for 3–4 whistles

Whisk it smooth (because dal likes being soft)


Make That Tadka Sing:

2 tsp ghee or oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

3–4 cloves garlic, smashed

1–2 dry red chilies

1 small onion, sliced (optional)

1 chopped tomato

A pinch of red chili powder

A sprinkle of kasuri methi (optional but lovely)


Bring Them Together:

Pour tadka over dal

Watch it sizzle

Stir in chopped coriander

Serve hot with rice, jeera rice, or roti





🧡 Why I Never Skip It

Because dal never judges.
Because it forgives overcooking.
Because it goes with papad or pickle or plain rice or pulao.
Because no matter how many recipes I write…
Dal Tadka always feels like mine.