‘Dhal’ refers to lentils and ‘Tadka’ is the technique of tempering your spices to release their flavours and aromas. 

There are so many different varieties of lentils, and any will do, but I love to make this recipe with yellow lentils (toor dhal). Different cooks will add their own spice creations and so make sure you play around with your spice tin and see what works for you.