🌿 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.