Degchi
Tadka
Also written: tarka, baghar, chhaunk, phoron
- Urduتڑکا / بگھار
- Hindiतड़का / छौंक
- Banglaফোড়ন
Tadka is the last move in a lot of daal. You heat ghee or oil until it is properly hot, drop in whole spices and aromatics for a few seconds, then pour the whole sizzling lot over a pot that is already cooked. Simmering alone cannot give a dish that sharp, toasted top note, and you hear it land in the pot.
What goes in depends on the dish and the region. Cumin seeds and garlic are the classic start for the daal in our library; our Dal Tadka crackles the cumin for up to a minute, then fries garlic and whole red chillies for about two. Mustard seeds and curry leaves turn up in southern-style dishes such as lemon rice, and Bengali cooking uses phoron, often a mix of whole seeds fried in mustard oil.
Timing is the whole skill. Whole spices go in when the fat is hot enough to make a cumin seed fizz at once, and they are done in seconds: cumin darkens a shade, garlic turns pale gold. Ground chilli goes in last or off the heat, because it scorches quickly and turns bitter. Pour while it still sizzles and cover the pot for a minute so the aroma stays in.
The mistake to avoid is burnt garlic. Once it goes brown it tastes bitter and no amount of salt hides it, so wipe the pan and start the fat again.
Recipes that use it
- Dal Tadka
- Split Black Lentils
- Split Chickpea Lentils
- Rice and Lentil Porridge
- Yogurt Curry with Fritters
- Lemon Rice
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Cook Your First Dish in Degchi: Split Chickpea Lentils (Chana Daal)