Quick Hotel Style Mix Dal Tadka Recipe – Easy & Flavourful
Learn how to make a quick & delicious Hotel-Style Mix Dal Tadka with Toor and Masoor dal. Perfect for dinner with Jeera Rice or Chapati. Simple step-by-step recipe!
Ingredients
For Pressure Cooking (The Dal Base):
- Toor Dal Arhar Dal: 1 Cup
- Masoor Dal Red Lentils: 1/2 Cup
- Water: 1.5 glasses plus more for adjusting consistency
- Onion: 1 medium sliced lengthwise
- Tomato: 1 medium chopped
- Green Chilli: 1 whole
- Ginger-Garlic Crush: 1/2 inch ginger and 3 garlic cloves crushed together
- Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
- Salt: To taste
- Ghee Clarified Butter: 1/2 tbsp
Whole Spices:
- 1 Bay Leaf Tej Patta
- 1- inch Cinnamon Stick Dalchini
- 1 Black Cardamom Badi Elaichi
- 1 Green Cardamom Hari Elaichi
- 2 Cloves Laung
- 1 Small Star Anise Chakri Phool
For the Tadka (Tempering):
- Ghee: 2-3 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds Rai: 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds Jeera: 1 tsp
- Garlic: 7-8 cloves crushed
- Asafetida Hing: A pinch
- Dry Red Chillies: 2 whole
- Curry Leaves: 1 sprig
- Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Cumin-Coriander Powder Dhana-Jeera Powder: 1 tsp
- Fresh Coriander Leaves: Chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the Lentils: Measure 1 cup of Toor Dal and 1/2 cup of Masoor Dal. Wash them thoroughly with water until the water runs clear.
- Add Ingredients to Cooker: In a pressure cooker, add the washed dals and 1.5 glasses of water. Add the sliced onion, chopped tomato, green chilli, and the crushed ginger-garlic paste.
- Infuse with Spices: Add all the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, star anise) directly into the cooker. Add salt, turmeric powder, and 1/2 tbsp of ghee.
- Pressure Cook: Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 whistles on medium heat.
- Mash the Dal: Once the pressure releases naturally, open the lid. The dal should be soft and well-cooked. Mash it slightly with a ladle to get a creamy consistency.
- Prepare the Tadka: Heat 2-3 tbsp of ghee in a kadai or deep pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add cumin seeds, crushed garlic, and a pinch of hing. Sauté until the garlic turns golden.
- Add Aromatics: Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Stir briefly, then lower the flame. Add red chilli powder and coriander-cumin powder.
- Combine: Immediately pour the boiled dal into the tadka to lock in the flavours.
- Simmer: Rinse the cooker with a little warm water and add it to the pan to adjust the consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let the Mix Dal Tadka simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
- Garnish & Serve: Turn off the heat and garnish generously with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot!