Soft yellow lentils finished with a hissing ghee tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli, poured over at the table. Comfort food that costs pennies a portion.
Prep
10 mins
Cook
40 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£0.60
Difficulty
easy
Two things make a dal taste like it came from a roadside dhaba rather than a hospital canteen. The first is cooking the lentils past the point where they hold their shape, so the whole thing turns creamy. The second is a proper tadka poured over hot, right before it reaches the table, so you get the crackle.
Rinse both dals together in several changes of cold water until the water runs almost clear. Drain.
Put the dals in a large saucepan with 1.2 litres of cold water, the turmeric and 1 tsp of the salt. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam that rises, then turn down to a steady simmer.
Cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring now and then and topping up with hot water if it gets too thick. The dal is ready when the lentils have completely lost their shape and the mixture is loose and creamy.
Whisk it briskly for a few seconds at the end. This breaks down any stubborn lentils and gives a much smoother body.
Add the chopped tomatoes and the remaining salt and simmer for a further 5 minutes, then keep warm over the lowest heat.
For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and wait until they crackle and turn a shade darker, about 20 seconds.
Add the sliced garlic and dried red chillies and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is pale gold. Watch it closely, as it goes from gold to burnt in seconds.
Add the chopped onion to the same pan and fry for 5 to 6 minutes until browning at the edges, then take off the heat and stir in the Kashmiri chilli powder, which will bloom instantly in the residual heat.
Pour the entire tadka over the hot dal, ghee and all. Do not stir it in fully. Add the lemon juice and coriander and take it to the table while it is still hissing.