Tadka Dal

Ingredients

• 2 inches piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils (masoor dal)
• salt
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
• 2 thai green chilies, stemmed and sliced (remove seeds if desired)

Directions

1. 1

   In a blender, process ginger and garlic with 1/4 cup water until smooth.

2. 2

   In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until well-browned, about 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Add ginger-garlic puree, cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric. Cook until nearly dry, about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add lentils and 4 cups water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   In a large skillet, heat the remaining ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and sliced chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard seeds pop, about 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve bowls of the lentils with the spiced ghee on top.