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AI-generated photograph: Golden tarka dal in a wide matte black bowl, a swirl of ghee with cumin seeds, fried garlic and a whole red chilli on top, cumin rice in a small mound beside it

Home · Recipes · Tarka dal with jeera rice

South Asian · Dinner

Tarka dal with jeera rice

golden lentils · sizzling garlic tarka · cumin rice

AI-generated photograph

Soft, golden red lentils finished with a tarka of sizzling ghee, cumin, garlic and chilli poured over at the table, with basmati rice cooked with toasted cumin seeds.

Contains: milk, as written. Of the 14 allergens, only milk is in this recipe, in the ghee. Check the garam masala packet, as spice mixes can be packed where mustard or celery are handled.

Ingredients

  • 250g red split lentils (masoor dal)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt, then more to taste
  • 300g basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, for the rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons (about 30g) ghee (butter with the milky solids taken out)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, for the tarka
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 dried red chillies, left whole (optional)
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • Half a teaspoon garam masala (a warm spice mix)
  • A small handful of fresh coriander (about 15g), chopped
  • Half a lemon, to serve

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Let's cook

  1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear. Put them in a large pan with 1 litre of water and the turmeric. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
  2. The lentils are ready when they have broken down into a thick, soft soup. If it looks too thick, add a splash of hot water. Stir in the salt.
  3. While the lentils cook, make the jeera rice (jeera means cumin). Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs almost clear. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute so every grain is coated. Pour in 550ml water and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and turn the heat to its lowest. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Take out the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork.
  5. Now make the tarka, the hot spiced fat that goes on top. Melt the ghee in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and dried chillies and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
  6. Add the onion and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and fry for 1 to 2 minutes more until it is pale gold. Watch it closely, because garlic turns bitter if it goes dark brown.
  7. Add the tomato and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes until the tomato softens. Pour the sizzling tarka over the dal, scatter over the coriander and squeeze over the lemon. Serve with the jeera rice.

Tips

  • Pour the tarka on just before serving, so you hear it sizzle and smell the spices.
  • Dal thickens as it stands. Loosen leftovers with a little hot water and reheat until steaming hot.
  • Cool any leftover rice within an hour, keep it in the fridge and eat it within a day. Reheat it until it is steaming hot.

Swaps

  • Vegan: use 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in place of the ghee.
  • Milder: leave out the dried chillies, and the dal has no heat at all.

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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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