Masoor dal tadka

Masoor dal is the split red lentil: small, orange-pink and quick-cooking. It needs no soaking and turns soft in the pressure cooker after one whistle and a few minutes on low, so this masoor dal quick recipe fits a weeknight. In many north Indian homes the dal is finished with a ghee tadka, and that is exactly what the recipe below does.

The tadka sequence is what keeps the dal silky. Ghee goes in first, then cumin until it crackles, then garlic until golden, then hing and the green chilli for a few seconds, and the tomato last, so it fries rather than steams. The hot tempering goes over the cooked dal, gets one stir, and simmers for two minutes; whisking or a long simmer turns masoor pasty. This is how to make masoor dal that pours rather than pastes.

Three cups of water for one cup of dal gives a pouring, spoonable dal. Use two and a half cups for a thick dal to scoop with roti, or three and a half for a thin one, and stir the salt into the water before the cooker closes so it seasons evenly. Leftover dal sets in the fridge; loosen it with hot water and reheat. The whole masoor dal family, from the names to the nutrition, is covered on the hub page.