Nadiya's dal
Nadiya's dal makes a luxury out of everyday ingredients. The garlic, chilli and spice tarka is an absolute must.
Ingredients
For the dal
- 250g/9oz toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 onions, chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped (seeds removed if preferred)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 small dried red chillies
- 2 floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm dice
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
For the topping
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp panch phoran
- large handful fresh coriander leaves
Method
For the dal, soak the dal (ideally overnight) or for a minimum of 4 hours.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the onions, chilli and garlic and cook until softened.
Add the ground spices, dried chillies and a little water to loosen and stir.
Add the potatoes and lentils and enough water to almost cover. Simmer for 10–12 minutes..Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until they have softened but not dissolved.
Meanwhile, for the topping fry the garlic, onion and chilli in the oil until caramelised and crispy. Add the panch phoran and, once you hear the spices pop, take off the heat.
To serve, spoon out the dal and garnish it with the crunchy topping. Sprinkle with the coriander.
