Dal Tadka
Dal Tadka (ถั่วราดเครื่องเทศร้อน)
Yellow toor dal cooked smooth, then finished with a sizzling tempering of ghee, cumin, dried red chilli, asafoetida and garlic.
Get directions ↗ · 2 min walk from Grand Mercure
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About Dal Tadka
Dal tadka is a North Indian staple defined by its finishing flourish: tadka, the technique of blooming whole spices and aromatics in hot fat and pouring them sizzling over the cooked lentils just before serving. The drama of that final step is what gives the dish its name and its character.
Yellow toor dal is pressure-cooked until smooth, then finished with a tempering of ghee, cumin, dried red chilli, asafoetida, and chopped garlic prepared at the table-side stage so the aroma stays sharp. Unlike dal fry, where the masala is simmered into the lentils, here the tempering is poured over the top at the end, which keeps the dal itself plainer and lets the tadka sit as a distinct, fragrant layer. There is no paneer in this dish, but the spices are ground fresh daily in the same kitchen that turns out our fresh-paneer dishes and breads. The tadka is done in ghee by default, and vegetable oil can be used instead on request to make it fully vegan. The kitchen is halal-friendly with no pork, and our Uttarakhand-born head chef Santosh Shah handles the tempering himself.
The flavour is medium-spiced, with the bloomed cumin and asafoetida giving an unmistakable savoury depth and the crushed garlic a robust, aromatic punch. The whole dried red chillies add a gentle smoke and mild heat and are meant for flavouring rather than eating whole. The consistency is smoother and slightly soupier than the chunkier, onion-heavy dal fry.
It pairs naturally with jeera rice or hot tandoor rotis, the looser texture suiting rice particularly well. A spoon of pickle and sliced onion round out a comforting, everyday plate.
Eat in at our 30-40 seat dining room in Huai Khwang (try the Dastarkhan floor seating), or have it delivered anywhere in Bangkok.
The rest of the vegetarian cooking — dals, sabzis, paneer, the thalis — is on our vegetarian menu, and the halal page explains the sourcing behind all of it. It sits in our Vegetarian Main Courses menu, and regulars often order it alongside Paneer Butter Masala.
รายละเอียด Dal Tadka (ถั่วราดเครื่องเทศร้อน)
ถั่วเหลืองต้มนุ่มราดด้วยเนยใสร้อนจัดผัดยี่หร่า กระเทียม และพริกแห้งจนหอมกรุ่นฟุ้งกระจาย ตำรับดั้งเดิมปัญจาบ เทคนิคตัดก้าที่ทำให้รสชาติเข้มข้นลึกล้ำ เสิร์ฟร้อน
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 'Tadka'?
Tadka is a traditional Indian cooking technique where whole spices and aromatics are briefly bloomed in hot oil or ghee to release their essential oils, then poured over the dish.
Does this dish have a strong garlic flavour?
Yes, crushed garlic is a key component of the tempering process, giving the Dal Tadka a wonderful, robust garlic aroma.
Are the whole red chillies very spicy?
The whole dried red chillies in the tempering add a smoke note and mild heat, but they are generally meant for flavouring rather than eating whole.
Can I make this dish vegan?
Absolutely! We can perform the tadka (tempering) using vegetable oil instead of traditional ghee upon request.
Is Dal Tadka thicker or thinner than Dal Fry?
Dal Tadka generally has a slightly smoother, soupier consistency compared to the chunky, onion-tomato heavy base of a Dal Fry.
