Burnt garlic tarka dal

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Dhal, dal, daal – however you spell this ubiquitous Indian dish of split lentils flavoured with an aromatic spiced oil (known as a tarka), it's always delicious and comes in countless varieties and flavours. In this version, Will Bowlby adds a generous amount of garlic, fried until golden, along with spices, curry leaves and chillies.

First published in 2021

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Method

1
Soak the dal in plenty of cold water for at least 30 minutes
  • 300g of yellow mung dal, also known as moong dal
  • 300g of masoor dal, (red lentils)
2
Drain the lentils, add to a deep saucepan and cover with water. Place over a medium heat and bring the water to a simmer, then continue to cook until the lentils have absorbed all the water and are tender
3
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat up the oil then add the mustard seeds. When they begin to crackle, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chillies and garlic. Continue to cook until the garlic just starts to colour, then add the tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes
4
Pour the garlic tarka mixture into the cooked lentils, stirring well to combine, then season with salt. Garnish with extra curry leaves fried in oil until crisp if desired
First published in 2021

After falling in love with Indian food whilst working in Mumbai, Will Bowlby returned to the UK to open Kricket, a modern Indian restaurant with plenty of British twists.

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