Masoor Dal Tadka

Directions

• Mise en place
• Remove the stem and slit down the middle 2 Thai red chilis.
• Dice the red onion.
• Dice tomatoes.
• Measure out 1 Tbsp of ginger garlic paste.
• Measure out 1 cup of red lentils, rinse with cold water and remove any foreign debris.
• Measure out 2-1/2 cups of water and set aside.
• Slice a lime in half, reserve half of the lime for adjusting the acidity of the dish.
• Measure out oil and spices. Set aside the Tadka ingredients.
• Cooking
• Heat ghee in a 4 qt pot over medium heat.
• Ghee is hot enough to start cooking if bubbles form around a wooden utensil when dipped into the oil.
• Add cumin seeds, stir and cook until the cumin is fragrant.
• Add red onion and Thai red chilis, fry until the onion begins to brown around the edges.
• Add ginger garlic paste, cook for 1 minute or untill the pungent/raw smell goes away.
• Add the tumeric, ground corriander, Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1 -2 minutes, the spices should become fragrant. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent the spices from sticking and burning.
• Add tomatoes, stir and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
• Add the red lentis and stir to incorprate with the onions and tomatoes.
• Add 2-1/2 cups water, and stir well.
• Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, decrease the heat to a simmer and cover with lid.
• Cook for for 20 minutes, or untill the lentils are tender.
• Remove from heat.
• Add lime, garam masala, and adjust salt to taste.
• Cooking the Tadka
• In a small pan, heat 1 Tbsp of ghee over medium heat.
• Ghee is hot enough to start cooking if bubbles form around a wooden utensil when dipped into the oil.
• Add the cumin seeds, garlic, curry leaves, and Kashmiri chilis.
• Cook the spices in the oil until fragrant, for about 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat, add 1/4 tsp of Kashmiri chili powder to the hot oil and stir.
• Pour the Tadka over the Lentils.
• Serve the lentils with warm Basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.
• Enjoy!