A bowl of dal is one of my favourite comfort foods. Delicious, frugal and adaptable. This tarka dal recipe is made with red split lentils, some (non traditional) added cheese and topped with crispy onions – the tarka. You can make your dal as thick or thin as you like – scoop up thick dal with a naan bread, or add extra stock for a soup and eat with a spoon.
I made this in my trusty Redmond RMC-M4502E Multicooker, which I have now been using for over a year, and it has well and truly earned its place in the kitchen. This device will fry, stew, steam, boil, bake & slow cook with its 35 functions (initial review here). It is well designed (all the accessories fit inside the cooking pot) and it is perfect for the smaller kitchen, caravan or boat.
Do you love cooking with red lentils? Then check out my Red Lentil Loaf Recipe!
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 onions - sliced
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp flaked chilli
- 210 g split red lentils or 1 cup
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cm ginger root peeled and grated
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 50 g cheddar or other strong cheese - finely grated
- red chilli & fresh herbs to serve
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Place the butter and olive oil in the muticooker, set to FRY - VEGETABLES, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt and fry, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes until the onions are sticky, reduced and golden. Remove from cooking pot and set to one side.
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Add a little more oil to the pot, and the spices, set the cooker to FRY - VEGETABLES and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the lentils and cook for another minute.
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Press KEEP WARM / CANCEL and set the machine to the SOUP programme, add the lentils, ginger, garlic and 2 cups of the stock. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes stirring occasionally, and adding more stock if needed until the lentils are mushy and you have your desired consistency.
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Stir in half the cheese.
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Serve topped with the onions, remains of the cheese and sprinkled with slices of red chilli and fresh herbs.
For a twist on the recipe try frying the onions in coconut oil
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This split red lentils tarka dal recipe was commissioned by Redmond – I use a Redmond RMC-M4502E Multicooker currently priced at £49.
For more recipes using the Redmond Multicooker you may like
Katie Bryson
This looks like a hugely comforting dish Helen, another great recipe from the trusty multi cooker! We’ve gone veggie this month so this is going to get an add onto our weekly menu plan. The weather is beyond abysmal up here at the moment, so comfort food is much in order!
Helen
It is hugely comforting. We are living on lentils as there are so many in the cupboard and I am on my January cupboard empty
Emily Leary
Looks really delicious – I’m a big fan of lentils with cheese. My mum used to make a wonderful cheesy red lentil pie when I was little so it’s a flavour combination close to my heart!
Helen
I love lentils, super delicious, frugal and easy to cook. What is not to love?
Sally - My Custard Pie
Adore dhal and it’s a staple for veggie teen especially during vegan month. Impressed by the Redmond especially with your useful instructions. Would be good for the summer months here when it’s too hot to put the oven or the gas burners on. Happy New Year.
Helen
I love the multicooker. It is so good for steaming salad potatoes in the summer.
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed
That looks so delicious…. Looks like I will be getting myself a multicooker for my birthday! Genius!
Helen
I love my multicooker. Great gadget.
lisa
This looks delicious! I’ve never made anything like this before because I always assume it’s too tricky, but will have to give it a go!
x
Helen
So so easy, frugal and adaptable. I love lentils.
Sarah James
Looks absolutely delicious Helen, I love the idea of frying the onions in coconut oil.
Helen
I adore onions slows fried in coconut oil. So delicious.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
What an interesting twist on daal – I can’t imagine it with cheese so I’ll have to give this a try. I’m huge fan of paneer and wonder how adding that would differ to melty cheddar?
Helen
Paneer would be delicious, but I do like the melted cheese on the lentils. So comforting!
helen @ family-friends-food.com
Thank you for reminding me how much I love lentils! That multicooker looks like a super-handy gadget too.
Helen
I am so impressed with the multicooker – and this one is very well designed. My go to gadget.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Tarka dal is my FAVOURITE – always what I order when we get an Indian takeaway. You’re right, dal is the perfect comfort food – warming, filling, and as an added bonus it’s healthy too! :)
Helen
I think the healthiness does depend how much ghee goes in! ghee makes it taste far better.
Sarah
This looks great! I thought it was going to be a complicated recipe but it looks so simple! And the multicooker would be great in my small Dutch apartment. Thanks for the recipe!
Helen
I love the multicooker Sarah. So so useful
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
This is wonderful!! I found some red lentils at Trader Joes and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them. All I knew was I wanted to make something. Well, you’ve given me the idea of that something. Thank you it looks and sounds delicious!
Helen
I love red lentils – super cheap and so delicious.
Shreyashi
Hi Helen,
I absolutely love fusion food of sorts. Not the kind which is served in swanky restaurants, no. I love the kind that you have made. I am an Indian, and I have never had a tadka dal with cheese and fried onion on top. And after seeing your recipe, the first thing that pops in to my head, is when will I be making this.
I love how food transcends such boundaries and allows us to create new and different things.
Cheers!
Helen
I love fusion food too, I often use Japanese ingredients in traditional Western dishes, and with this one, I just love cheese!