Tarka dal recipe

Recipe ingredients

1/2 cup red split lentils
3 cups water
1 level teaspoon salt
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
4 tablespoons melted vegetable ghee
Pinch turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 small tomato
2 teaspoons finely chopped green coriander

How to make tarka dal

Pick over the lentils for any stones and wash them in several changes of water.
Put into a saucepan with the three cups of water, add the salt and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer uncovered, skimming off the froth that collects at the top for the first 20 minutes or so during cooking.
After this stage, the pan should be partly covered.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for a total of one hour, at the end of which time you should have a pale yellow, soup like consistency.
While the dal is cooking, fry the onion and garlic in the ghee until the onions are pale brown.
Add the turmeric and garam masala to the onions and cook for two or three seconds.
Stir the onion mixture into the cooked lentils.
Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped tomato and green coriander.