Dal tadka
Comfort in a bowl. Split pigeon peas and red lentils are simmered until creamy, then finished with a tadka: whole spices, garlic and chilli sizzled in hot ghee and poured over at the last moment.
4 recipes that use dried red chillies, with photos, step-by-step instructions and cook times. The quickest, Mild curry masala, takes 10 minutes. It is most often cooked with cumin seeds, black peppercorns and coriander seeds.
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Comfort in a bowl. Split pigeon peas and red lentils are simmered until creamy, then finished with a tadka: whole spices, garlic and chilli sizzled in hot ghee and poured over at the last moment.
Home-made garam masala is far more fragrant than shop-bought. The whole spices are roasted until crisp, then ground, giving a warm, slightly hot blend with dry ginger and red chilli. Add a pinch to curries, dals and rice dishes towards the end of cooking.
An everyday curry powder that's built on coriander seeds, so it's fragrant rather than fiery. Fennel, star anise and bay give it a sweet warmth, with just two red chillies for heat. Season curries with it when you want flavour without much heat.
The South Indian spice powder that gives sambhar its body and flavour. Roasted lentils add a nutty thickness, with coriander, red chillies, curry leaves and sesame seeds. Use it in the sambhar served with idli and dosa.