A Tarka Dahl is a thin puree made of chick peas or lentils, and is not really a curry in its own right but rather an accompaniment commonly served with curry. It differs from a plain Dahl in the addition of two cloves of peeled, minced garlic. It has a slightly grainy texture and a mild to medium flavour.

To make one, you need:

180 grams of red split lentils.
1 teaspoon of salt.
750 ml of water.
1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
2 cloves of garlic, minced.
1 medium onion, finely chopped.
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric.
30 grams of unsalted butter or ghee.
1 red chilli, finely chopped.

Put the lentils, the cumin, the salt and the turmeric into a saucepan. You need a non-reactionary saucepan for this, so don’t use an aluminium one. Add the water and bring the whole to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer and leaving to cook, partially covered, for an additional 40 minutes.

Take the mixture from the heat and leave to cool for five minutes before sieving. Melt the butter or ghee in a separate pan, and sweat the onions and chilli over a low heat until the onion is soft and golden. Add the garlic, and after 2 more minutes of cooking your Tarka Dahl is done.