Red lentil dal with a curry leaf tadka

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Tadka dal

Finish cooked lentils with a tadka of curry leaves and spices warmed in oil or ghee. Stir through just before serving.

By Neer Vasa, NutriThrive founder · Updated 12 Oct 2026

Red lentil dal with a curry leaf tempering is one of the fastest dinners I cook in Melbourne: one pot, about thirty minutes, and a sixty-second tadka that makes the kitchen smell right. Below is the full recipe, fresh versus dried leaves, variations, freezing notes, and where to buy our dried karipatta.

In Australia, fresh curry leaves at Woolworths and Coles come in small punnets and stock varies by store, so this recipe is written for dried leaves you can keep in the pantry. See where to buy curry leaves in Australia.

Why the curry leaf tadka matters

Curry leaves are fried in hot oil in the tempering step so their aroma perfumes the whole pot. That citrusy, savoury note is what reads as South Indian, not an extra spoon of ground spice. Skip the tadka and the dal still fills you up; it just will not smell like the dish you meant to make.

Technique and leaf amounts: dried curry leaves quality guide. No leaves? See substitute guide, but for this recipe, real leaf is worth it.

The recipe: 30-minute curry leaf dal

Serves: 4 · Time: about 30 minutes · Equipment: one large pot plus a small pan for tempering

Ingredients

For the dal

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed well
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
• 1.5 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Salt to taste
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp oil for the base

For the curry leaf tempering

• 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 12 to 15 dried curry leaves (or 18 to 20 for more intensity)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

To serve

Basmati rice, wholegrain naan or crusty bread. Fresh coriander if you have it.

Method

1. Base (5 min): Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger; stir 1 minute.
2. Spices (1 min): Add turmeric, cumin and coriander. Stir 30 to 60 seconds until they bloom.
3. Simmer (20 min): Add rinsed lentils, coconut milk, water and tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 20 minutes, stirring often, until lentils are soft and the dal has thickened. Add a splash of water if too thick.
4. Season: Stir in lemon juice and salt to taste.
5. Tempering (60 seconds): In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over high heat. Add mustard seeds; in 10 to 15 seconds they pop. Immediately add curry leaves; fry 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly crisp. Pour the entire contents over the dal.
6. Serve: Stir once to distribute. Serve over rice or with bread.

More ways to use the same leaf: curry leaf recipes beyond dal.

Fresh or dried curry leaves in this dal

Dried leaves work well here, add them to the hot oil the same way as fresh. Flavour is slightly milder, so I often use 18 to 20 dried leaflets instead of 12 to 15. Do not soak them for tadka; add dry from the pouch.

Variations

• Use vegetable stock instead of water for more depth.
• Add ½ tsp chilli flakes with the ground spices for heat.
• Pressure cooker: 8 minutes high pressure, then temper and serve.
• Stir in a drained tin of chickpeas at the end for a thicker pot.

Storing and freezing

Keep leftovers in the fridge 3 to 4 days. Freeze in portions up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen. Make the tempering fresh when serving after freezing, the aroma is worth the extra minute.

Get dried curry leaves

I pack our farm-grown dried leaf in 30g pouches in Truganina for $7. Free AU shipping from $49 when you combine with tea or other products.

Dried Curry Leaves: $7 / 30g

Whole leaflets for this dal and every tadka after it.

Shop dried curry leaves →

FAQ

For a weekly tadka, keep a pouch of whole dried curry leaves in the pantry.