Name: Pakistani Tarka Dhal
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 115 g/4 oz/½ cup split Bengal gram (chana dhal); 30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice; 5 ml/1 tsp garam masala; 30 ml/2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil; a few sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish; 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish; 2.5 ml/½ tsp white cumin seeds; 1 onion, diced; 5 ml/1 tsp crushed fresh root ginger; 5 ml/1 tsp crushed garlic; 225 g/8 oz/1 cup red lentils; 7.5 ml/1½ tsp salt; 5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander; 7.5 ml/1 ½ tsp chilli powder; 1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground turmeric

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Lentil Cookbook

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2016

About

Dhal is served daily in Pakistani households as an accompaniment to most meals, and this simple yet versatile version is a classic. The dhal element comprises two types of lentil which are cooked with spices and then processed until smooth. A tarka, made by frying onion and spices in ghee or vegetable oil, is then poured over the lentils, lending flavour as well as texture to the finished dish.