Rinse the lentils and add them to the pressure cooker. Just soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot.
To the lentils, add chopped onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger.
Pour 2.5 cups water. if cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups water can be added.
Add turmeric powder and asafetida and stir well.
Pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy.
Mash the dal with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. If the dal looks thick, then add some water to get a medium consistency.
Simmer the dal for 3 to 4 minutes.
Once the desired consistency is reached, add cream (optional), garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves and salt. switch off the fire.
Mix well so that everything combines uniformly. Check salt before you add the tempering.
Preparing the tadka
Heat oil or ghee or butter in a small pan.
First add cumin seeds and crackle them. The cumin should get fried and not be raw but don’t burn them.
Now add red chilies, asafetida and chopped garlic. Let the garlic brown and the red chilies change color.
Lastly add kasuri methi (add kasuri methi, if you have not added before to the dal) and red chili powder. Stir and switch off the stove.
Pour the entire tempering along with the oil/ghee into the dal.
you can mix the dal or serve the dal tadka with the tempering on top it. garnish dal tadka with coriander leaves. serve dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or with rotis or phulkas.
Recipe Notes
Make sure to fry the tempering ingredients at a low flame, so that you don’t burn them.