Restaurant-Style Tarka Daal

Tips and inspiration

If you’re short on time, this is the perfect recipe for a busy schedule. What would take hours to bubble away, now only takes minutes with our Classic Lentil Tarka Daal kit. Beautiful as is, or if you want to bulk out this dish by adding some vegetables, you can. We’ve garnished with a mix of fried shallot, ginger, garlic and chilli to give that final restaurant flourish.  

Step one

Pour the lentils and tarka sauce from the two pouches into a large mixing bowl. Add all the vegetables and gram flour and stir together well along with ¼ tsp. salt – or to taste. 

Step two

Heat the 1 tsp. of oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the dry spices, including the chilli for optional extra heat. Cook for 10 seconds and pour into the lentil mix. The mix should look like it will hold its shape in the pan but isn’t too dry. It should have a dropping consistency. If it is too thin, add the rest of the gram flour. If it is too thick, you can leave it for 10 minutes and the vegetables will release their own liquid. 

Step three

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in the pan and, once hot, add a heaped tablespoon full of the mixture into the hot oil. The fritters can be as big or as little as you like. Ours are about 4 inches wide. Turn the heat down and cook over a moderate heat until crisp and golden on the bottom, flip over and cook the underside. It should take about 4 minutes per side (do not cook on a high heat as the gram flour inside needs time to cook). Once golden, place straight on kitchen paper. 

Step four

Repeat with the remaining oil and batter. 

Step five

Serve hot as they are, with some chilli sauce or herb chutney.