Blends / Dal Tadka Base

Dal Tadka Base

A tadka of onion, tomato, garlic and roasted spices in one sachet. Fry it briefly in ghee or oil, then add your cooked dal. Toasty cumin, onion, tomato and garlic, with a gentle heat.

• Time: About 10 minutes, with dal already cooked
• Makes: 10 servings (1 sachet per serving)
• Pack: 10 sachets, 20 g each

Ingredients

Dried onion (25%), tomato powder (20%), cumin, coriander seed, red chilli, garlic powder, salt, dried ginger, turmeric, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), asafoetida (contains wheat flour).

Allergens

Contains: Wheat (in asafoetida). May contain: Mustard. Always check the pack label.

You add

• Cooked toor dal, 3/4 cup
• Ghee or oil, 1 tsp
• Water, 100 ml

How to make it

1. Heat 1 tsp ghee or oil in a pan. Stir in one sachet and fry gently for 1 minute, until it smells toasty.
2. Add the cooked dal and 100 ml water. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. Taste, then finish it as you like.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place.

Questions

Which dal can I use?

Toor dal is traditional. Moong or masoor dal also work. Use whichever you have ready.

Ingredients to know

• Tomato
• Cumin
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Coriander
• Chilli
• Fenugreek (methi)
• Garlic

Kitchen tips for this blend

• How can I make a comforting dal without using a large number of spices?
• How can I fix dal that has become too thick?
• What can I add to dal to create a different flavour profile?

See the blend and buy

By the BhumiSutra kitchen team. Updated 28 October 2026. All products and figures on this prototype site are demonstration data.