Tadka dal (tuvar dal/Arhar dal)

This is the lentil curry that  makes almost thrice(or more) a week! at my mom's home. My dad simply loves this lentil curry. In fact this is the most popular dal in every household in INDIA. This is a very flavourful and tasty lentil curry. You can have a bowl of this on a cold winter night as a soup all by itself!  Some people(Gujrati Indians) add sugar to sweeten this, but we like it spicy! Yet, you will be amazed that this is not very spicy at all, but really a great lunch alongwith rice and yogurt or chapati.

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

4 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

 1/2 tsp coriender powder

2 tablespoons unsalted  butter (ghee)

 FOR TADKA


1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp red chili powder

2 bay leaves

Pinch of asafetida

1 medium size chopped tomato
 
1 medium size chopped onion  (optional)
 
1 tablespoon fine chopped ginger



METHOD

1-.Wash dal and soak  in  water for sometime.

2-.In pressure cooker add dal, water, salt, turmeric,coriender powder and 2-3 drops of ghee, cook on medium high heat.Then on medium heat for near about 5-6 minutes.

3-Let the steam go off,then open the cooker for tadka.

Tadka-

1-.Heat ghee in a saucepan ,add hing and cumin seed,let it splutter.

2-Add bay leaves and  chopped onion to it and saute for sometime .

3- Add ginger and chopped tomato and saute.

4-After sometime(4-5 min) ,add red chilli powder .

5- Add this tadka to dal and garnish it with few cilantro leaves.


NOTE- 1- you can make this tadka without tomato and onion too.(then it will be plain tadka dal)
            2 - Adding 2-3 drops of lemon juice will give additional taste to it.