Tarka Dhal - anyone got a good recipe?

[spacedonkey]

I'm after a recipe for tarka dhal - one of my favourite comfort foods. I'd love to know how to make it!

[marthamoo]

Is tarka dhal different to bog-standard dhal?

[Blackduck]

its 'otter........

[spacedonkey]

it's the runny garlicky one rather than the stodgy one

(why did you post about £50 socks on the Toast thread moo?)

[marthamoo]

Cos I am insane.

No, there was a Toast thread yesterday about Toast the clothing company rather than Toast the Nigel Slater book and I had a bit of a mind spin and thought "why is that Toast thread in the book topic?"

I've only cooked stodgy dhal, not hot and runny

[marthamoo]

untried by me Tarka Dhal recipe

[spacedonkey]

ooh ta

[lunavix]

I thought it was someone out of star wars or something...

[stitch]

boil red lentils. if you feel like it, add some salt, garlic, a bay leaf, turmeric powder and chopped onion. if you dont, doesnt matter! after twenty odd minutes add a tomato. once the tomato is done, dhal is done.
for the tarka, fry some cumin seed birdes eye chillies and sliced garlic cloves. sliced onions if you feel like. poppy seeds if you feel like it. add hot oil mixture to the dhal.
ta da.
works just as well minus many of the ingredients

[spacedonkey]

ooh - I didn't even know that "tarka" was a separate component! So tarka dhal is just normal dhal with tarka added then?!

[marthamoo]

Lol lunavix - it does sound like a Star Wars character.."hard to cook Tarka Dhal is."

[marthamoo]

Tarka is an otter actually. Can you get it in Waitrose?

[stitch]

tarka refers to the fried oil bit that is added.
you can do a tarka to many things. aubergine youghurt thing for example.
or two day old chicken curry with a bit of tarka on top, and your guests wont know its not fresh. etc.