Ingredients
- 250 g yellow split peas (chana dal) or yellow lentils (toor dal), rinsed
- 1.2 litres water
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- A thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Coriander leaves, to serve
For the tarka
- 3 tbsp ghee, coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- A pinch of asafoetida (optional, helps digestion)
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1–2 dried red chillies, or 1 green chilli, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
Method
- Cook the lentils: put the split peas, water, turmeric and ginger in a large pan. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer, partly covered, for 35–45 minutes, stirring now and then, until completely soft and creamy. Add more water if it gets too thick. Stir in the salt.
- Make the tarka: heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and the asafoetida, and let them sizzle and pop for 30 seconds. Add the onion and fry until golden, then add the garlic and chillies and fry until the garlic is just golden. Add the tomatoes and garam masala and cook for 3 minutes.
- Combine: pour the sizzling tarka over the dal and stir it in (or swirl it on top). Add the lemon juice and taste for salt.
- Serve: scatter with coriander and serve with brown basmati rice or chapatis.
Why it's good for you: Dal has nourished people across India for thousands of years. Lentils and split peas are rich in protein, folate, iron and fibre, and frying spices in fat (the tarka) releases their flavour and helps the body absorb their beneficial compounds. Cumin, ginger and asafoetida are traditionally added to make pulses easier to digest.
Good to know: Using ghee makes this dish vegetarian rather than plant-based. Asafoetida is often mixed with wheat flour; choose a gluten-free one if you need it.
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