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Tadka dal with roasted tomatoes

Proper tadka dal (dhal or daal) is made with tempering. In this recipe I “temper” the cooked lentils with pre-roasted spiced tomatoes. The result is interesting version. My Tadka dal with roasted tomatoes  is perfect in a vegan Indian menu or as a light lunch, served with naan bread. The first part of the recipe (roasting the tomatoes) can be done well in advance.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 450 g tomatoes
  • 2 red onions
  • ½ garlic bulb
  • 1 chilli
  • 1 tsp paprika or 1/2 chilli powder
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp curry leaves
  • For the lentils:
  • 250 g red lentils
  • 1 piece ginger
  • 1 piece turmeric root
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 piece of cinnamon bark
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 litre water
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Lime juiced
  • 100 g baby spinach optional
  • 1 handful coriander leaves
  • oil for cooking

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a baking tray, cut-side facing upwards.
  3. Peel then cut the onion into wedges and tuck these between the tomatoes. Add the garlic and chilli (unpeeled). Mix the spices and scatter over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then let it cool. (You can refrigerate it until need it).
  4. Rinse and drain the red lentils and put them in a large saucepan. Add the water, the turmeric root (or 1 tsp turmeric powder), ginger, garlic clove, bay leaf, cinnamon bark and salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the lentils are cooked and become mushy. The soup should be quite thick. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaf.
  5. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin. Remove the chilli stalk. Add the garlic & chilli flesh to the dal, together with the the roasted tomatoes, including the cooking jus. Add the spinach if used, bring to a simmer, then put the lid on and rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the fresh coriander leaves. Using a hand-held blender, whiz for a few second to thicken the curry - but don’t blend it into a smooth soup.
  7. Warm it up if needed and serve with lime wedges.