Red Lentil Tarka Dal (Indian Lentil Curry)
Serves 4

Dal Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils (split)
1 large onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced (or 1 15 oz
can diced tomatoes)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 – 3/4 tsp Herbamare or salt to taste
3 cups of water or vegetable broth
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp roasted ground cumin
1/2 tsp roasted ground coriander
1 handful cilantro/coriander, chopped for garnish

Tarka Tempering:

2-3 inches of ginger peeled and sliced in long strips
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds (black)
1 dried red chilli, chopped (more if desired)
4-6 curry leaves *optional

Directions:

1. Place lentils into a mesh metal strainer and
rinse under cold water until water runs clear.
*To cook lentils faster soak in warm water while prepping
the rest of your vegetables.

2. Heat a medium saucepan or wok over medium heat and add
the onions, garlic and turmeric. Sprinkle a little salt on
the onions to get them to sweat. Saute for 2-3 minutes and
then add the tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes
are soft.

3. Add drained lentils and 3 cups of water or vegetable broth.
Stir and bring to a boil uncovered. Turn heat down to medium
low and and cover with a vented lid (or leave lid cracked to
let steam escape) cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are
soft and to desired tenderness.

4. In another pan, add a little water and fry the slices of
ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Stir the ginger. When the
water dissipates, add the mustard seeds and toast until they
pop. Then add the cumin seeds and toast for a minute or two.

5. Add the tarka seasonings, lemon juice, cumin and coriander
powder to the dal and stir in. Add Herbamare or salt to taste
and adjust seasonings if desired.

6. Serve and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips:

If you like you can use different lentils, but keep in mind
that whole lentils will take longer to cook, so you may need
to cook this dal for around an hour until they are soft.