Masoor Dal Tarka

I got baked before trying to write this tagline and all I can come up with is “red lentil dal, more like fred penner’s doll”. Holy shit it’s going badly. Great vegetarian dish though.

quickie

• Smash the veg
• Measure out the whole and ground spices
• Rinse and cook the lentils
• Sauté the veg
• Sauté the spices
• Spread it all over your body or just eat it or whatever I don’t know

Serves:

• 3-4 depending on what you have it with  

Nutritional information: 

• Super healthy, high in protein and easy to make vegan

Serves well with: 

• Naan bread
• Basmati rice

Grocery List:

• 1¼ cups red lentils
• 1/2 chicken or veg bouillon cube
• 1-2 medium yellow onions.. let your love of the onion guide you on using 1 or 2
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• Big toe of ginger
• Half a tin diced tomatoes (around 1½ cups)
• 2 tbsp of ghee (or coconut oil or veg oil)
• 2 whole dried chiles
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 cloves
• 2 tsp chili powder (preferably Kashmiri or something similar)
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3/4 tsp salt

Learning is fun!

Tarka or tadka is the act of tempering spices in hot oil to bring out their flavour, and is a key reason why Indian food is so damned flavourful. It’s also the noun.. the product of the act (tarka) is tarka. I think. I should re-read this later when my mind is clear..
Here’s a better description from Geeta Seth. 

LESS quickie

Process:

Slice up the onion, smash up the garlic and finely grate the ginger.
In a small bowl measure out the whole spices (whole chillies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cloves) and in a separate small bowl measure out the ground spices (chili powder, coriander, and turmeric).

An underrated name for a pet is Slimey, Oscar's pet worm.
Anyway heat a glug of oil in a skillet on medium and sauté the onions until lightly browning, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue sautéing for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until they darken a bit (5-6ish minutes).

While the veg are cooking, thoroughly rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Add them to a large saucepan that owns a lid. Add 3-4 cups of cold water. I like my dal rather thick so I use 3 cups. If you’re unsure, use 4 cups (we will strain out any unabsorbed water, and save it to play around with the consistency at the end). Crumble in a chicken or veg bouillon cube. Bring the water to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and lid it up. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until they’ve reached close to your desired consistency, keeping in mind that they will soften up a bit more as we go. Strain or spoon out any unabsorbed water and save it.

Time to tarka! In a small pan heat 2 tbsp of ghee on medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough drop in a mustard seed or two; they will gently sizzle if it’s hot enough. If the oil is too hot you’ll napalm your spices and be left with a bitter tarka. Nobody wants a bitter tarka.
“Hey Jord, stop saying tarka.”
No.
Saying tarka is badass.
I used to say tempering like a dumb white asshole. Now I say tarka like a badass. Who happens to be dumb and white.
When the oil is hot add the whole spices (whole chillies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cloves). After they sizzle and pop a bit (about a minute) add the ground spices and heat for another minute while stirring constantly. Remove the cloves and discard.. they’ve done their job and are unpleasant to chew. I know cause I just bit into one before writing this up.

Add the tarka (say it, you badass), the 3/4 tsp of salt, and the sautéed veg into the saucepan with the lentils and give it a mix. Here is where you can add in some of the lentil water if you want a more liquidy dish. Let it simmer on low for another 5 minutes to bring the flavours together, and taste for salt. Garnish with a smattering of cilantro and serve with basmati rice or homemade naan bread. You crushed this.