Tarka Dhal

1. Begin by making the dahl, only use the ingredients
listed under the dahl section. Take a large pan and place over a medium heat,
add vegetable oil, once hot add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook until
soft. Next Add the garlic, ginger, whole chilies and cook for two minutes.

2. Now lower the heat add the curry powder, garam masala
and turmeric, stir in a cook for 5-10 minutes, mix constantly to prevent the
spices sticking. Add a touch of water to help the cooking process and prevent
burning if necessary.

3. Add the tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes, breaking up
as they cook. Now add the lentils and the water, bring to a simmer and cook for
30-45 minutes or until the lentils are soft, skim off any residue that rises to
the top.

4. Once the lentils have cooked through, and the Dahl has
begun to thicken turn off the heat. If you wish for a thicker texture leave as
is, if you would like a more liquid consistency give a short blend to a small
portion and mix back into the overall mixture.  

5. Now for the Tarka. Take a pan or small wok and place
over a medium heat and warm the vegetable oil.

6. Once hot add the mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and
dried Kashmiri chilies, fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop.

7. Next, add the Cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander
seeds and cook 1 minute or until they have begun to soften and lightly brown.
Be careful not to burn them.

8. Next add the turmeric and mild chilli powder

 9. Next, add the garlic, spring onion, tomatoes. Cook and
mix until the garlic has cooked, then remove from the heat.

10. Now mix in the butter and fresh coriander.

 11. Your Tarka should be a reddish brown colour and full
of aroma, carefully pour over the dahl and mix together. 

Take real care with the Tarka to make sure that the butter and spices don’t burn. Remove the Tarka from the heat at any point to slow down the cooking process if needed.