Traditional Kadhi Daal

A bright yellow, velvety sauce that generously coats rice. The powerful aroma of toasted cumin and fried curry leaves hits you the moment you open the pot.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 345
• Protein: 15 g
• Carbs: 30 g
• Fat: 14 g

Ingredients

• 150 g toor dal ( rinsed )
• 250 g yogurt Indian ( plain )
• 60 g Chickpea flour ( sifted )
• 1 L Mineral water
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp Whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 2 piece Garlic ( finely minced )
• 10 piece curry leaves ( whole )
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 3 piece Dried red chilies ( whole )

Instructions

1. Preparing the yogurt mixture

   In a mixing bowl, smooth the yogurt with the chickpea flour using a whisk. Gradually pour in 500 ml of water to obtain a fluid and perfectly homogeneous mixture, without any lumps.

2. Cooking the lentils

   Rinse the toor dal lentils. Place them in a pot with the remaining water and turmeric. Cook over medium heat until the grains are tender and easily crushed under the pressure of a fork.

3. Binding and simmering

   Pour the yogurt mixture over the cooked lentils. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Lower the heat and let simmer: the sauce should thicken until it coats the spoon.

4. The tempering (Tadka)

   Heat the ghee in a small pan. When smoking, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida, and dried red chilies. Once they crackle, add the garlic, Kashmiri chili, and curry leaves. Pour this hot mixture over the daal and cover immediately.

Chef's tips

• Never stop stirring when adding the yogurt until it reaches the first boil, otherwise the sauce will curdle.
• If the consistency becomes too thick while sitting, thin it out with a splash of warm water before serving.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Flavors develop even more the next day.