Dal Tadka

Ingredients:

• ½ cup yellow pigeon peas (arhar dal)
• ½ cup skinless petite yellow lentils (moong dal)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

For tempering:

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• 2-3 whole dry red chiles
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chili
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped tomato
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Instructions:

• Wash arhar dal and mong dal with water 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear. Add both the dals in an Instant pot along with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, and salt to taste and stir gently.
• Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
• Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 11 minutes on high pressure. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and to start the timer.
• Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a cloth to move the valve to avoid steam burn. Open the lid of the pot.
• Add lime juice to the pot and mix the cooked dal well using a spoon until it is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
• Note – You can also cook the dal in a traditional Indian pressure cooker. Cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid of the cooker.
• Note – You can also cook the lentils in a pot over the stovetop. This method takes a lot of time and is not recommended. But in case you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook them this way. You will have to add more water and cook for a longer time.
• Once the lentil is cooked, let’s give it a tempering. Heat ghee and vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, asafetida, and whole dry red chiles and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
• Add ginger, garlic, and green chiles and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add onions and cook until they are lightly browned (5-6 minutes).
• Now add tomatoes and cook until they are soft and mushy (3-4 minutes).
• Finally, add Kashmiri red chili powder and give it a stir
• Immediately add the cooked dal and ½ cup of water to the pan and mix everything well. Add some more water if the dal is thick. Let it boil for about 1-2 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve hot.