Close
Photo:Lakshmi: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images. Recipe: Jenny Huang.
Lakshmi: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images. Recipe: Jenny Huang.
Ask any of her Instagram followers, and they’ll tell you that Padma Lakshmi’s kitchen has become quite the recognizable backdrop. The award-winning food expert and television host has shared how to make many of her favorite foods, from her“fantasy snack” chaat-chosto the dishes thatcomfort her most. So, it comes as no surprise that she recently uploaded a video about the lentil dish she and her family “eat at home … almost every day”.
Inher reel, Lakshmi explains how to make her tadka dal or yellow masoor dal. It’s a popular Indian dish made of two components: a lentil base and a one-pot mixture of tomatoes, spices and aromatics. Lakshmi says, “it’s only gonna take like 25 minutes,” so it seems great for a quick, vegetarian dinner to enjoy after a busy day. Here’s how to make it at home.
How to Cook Lentils Perfectly Every Time
While the lentils cook, add a thin layer of neutral oil like avocado or canola to a skillet over medium heat. Here, you’ll be infusing the oil with fragrant spices and veggies to make the tadka. Add ingredients like whole cumin seeds, finely diced shallot, torn curry leaves, green chile peppers, salt and turmeric to the oil. Then, Lakshmi adds diced fresh tomato to the pan, though you could probablyuse canned. After that, season the tadka with spices like ginger, sambar powder, amchur powder and a couple more torn curry leaves.
Once the lentils are cooked, the rest of the steps are even simpler than the previous ones, if you can believe it. Pour the hot tadka from the skillet into the pot of lentils. Finish the recipe off with sliced fresh cilantro, a bit of ghee and a squeeze of lemon juice. And there you have it! The dish looks so tasty and comforting, and we can’t wait to make it ourselves.
Lakshmi’s tadka dal is also a healthy choice for dinner, since foods like lentils, tomatoes and spices have some amazing nutritional properties.Lentilsare rich in fiber and protein, which can help you feel full for longer.Tomatoesare rich in potassium and other nutrients that can support heart health. Plus, spices liketurmeric and gingergive the dish an inflammation-fighting boost.
Maneet Chauhan Just Shared Her Top 3 Pantry Staples She Always Has on Hand
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
