1 Place a 3 litre pan on the burner. Turn on the flame to LOW mode, then add the below to it –

• Water – 1 litre
• Jaathee-pathree – 1
• Cardamom – 2
• Cinnamon – 1
• Star Anise – 1
• Clove – 4

Now let’s turn the flame to high mode, let the water boil for approximately 2 minutes.

By boiling, the flavor of spices will ooze into water.

2 After 2 minutes, lets turn flame to low mode. Use a wire strainer or metal strainer to remove the spices added in step 1.

3 Let add the below to the pan with hot water –

• Yellow moong dal – 250 grams
• Green Chilli – 2
• Stir a little.

Turn the flame to high mode (for 1 or 2 minutes) till water boils.

Once water boils, turn the flame to LOW mode, let dal get cooked for the next 15 minutes (no need of covering the pan with a lid)

After 15 minutes of slow cooking, let’s transfer this pan to the small burner and have the flame in LOW MODE.

4 Place another pan on the big burner, turn on the flame to high mode. Then add the below –

• Onion – 2
• Oil – 100 ml

Stir a little till onions turn soft (don’t fry till they turn brown)

5 Then turn the flame to low mode and start adding the below –

• Coriander leaves – few
• Tomato – 2 (chopped to smaller pieces)
• Fennel seeds – 1/4 tablespoon
• Stir a little.

Then add –

• Salt – 1/2 tablespoon
• Chilli powder – 2 pinch
• Cumin powder – 1/4 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tablespoon
• Stir a little, then pour 100 ml of water.

Let water boil and tomato get cooked for 2 minutes.

6 Now pour in the cooked dal and stir gently. Remove this pan and place it aside.

7 Place another pan with flame in HIGH mode. Then add the below –

• Ghee – 2 tablespoon
• Curry leaves – 15
• Cumin – 2 pinch
• Mustard – 1/4 tablespoon
• Red Chilli – 5
• Garlic – 10 cloves (crushed)

Stir a little for 15 to 20 seconds.

8 Pour these contents to the dal available in another pan. Stir well.

These Dhal thadka is a side dish suitable for having with ghee rice, roti and kulcha.