Oil Mixture:
- 5 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 tspwhole cumin seeds
- ½ tspred chili flakes
- 2 tbsp canola oil or ghee
Fry garlic, cumin seeds, and chili in oil on medium heat until garlic has turned golden brown and cumin is fragrant. If using ground cumin, fry garlic and chili, remove from heat and then add ground cumin. Put this oil mixture to the side for later.
Daal Tadka
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1 inch ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 medium tomatos finely chopped OR
- ⅓ can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup split red lentils or split mung beans (or a mix of both)
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2.5 cups water or soup stock
- 1-3 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
- salt to taste
- cilantro (optional)
Make a thick paste with the chili flakes, ginger, turmeric, and garam masala and a small amount of water and set aside.
Heat canola oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat and sauté onions until translucent. Add the spice paste and stir well for a minute. Add the tomatoes, lentils/mung beans, and water/stock, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until lentils/mung beans break apart and add vinegar/lemon juice to taste. Remove from heat and add garlic/cumin/chili/canola oil mixture from earlier. Stir well, top with cilantro, and serve over rice.
Tip: prepare the garlic/cumin/chili/canola oil mixture in a medium-sized pot, move oil mix into a small bowl and use that same pot to prepare the lentils/mung beans.
