Click here to view Punjabi Dal Tadka recipe. The Dal Tadka is one of the most popular dals while eating out at Indian restaurants and even roadside dhabas.

Punjabi Dal Tadka is made from 2 different kinds of dals, chana dal and toovar dal which are first pressure cooked with water, salt, turmeric, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Then the vegetables are cooked in oil with the dal and then the ghee tempering with spices is added to this Restaurant style Dal Tadka.

However few of us realise that this authentic Restaurant style Dal Tadka can be prepared with ease in your very own kitchen at nearly one-fifth the price.

This creamy, rich and smooth Dal Tadka is tempered with Punjabi spices and ghee. Serve Dal Tadka with Jeera Rice or Cooked Rice.

Is Punjabi Dal Tadka healthy?

This is a popular Dal which most of us have eaten it at some point. Punjabi Dal Tadka comprises of Toor Dal and Chana Dal, onions, tomatoes which are healthy and ghee for cooking which is again a helathy fat. So yes, you get your proteins, fiber and Vitamin B1. 

Yes, Dal Tadka is healthy.

Let's understand the ingredients.

What's good in paunjabi dal tadka.

1. Toor Dal (tuvar dal) : Toor dal is rich in proteins, the building block of good health. High in fiber, diabetic and heart friendly. Being an excellent source of folic acid, pregnant women must include toor dal in their daily diet. See detailed benefits of toor dal. 

2. Chana Dal : One cup of cooked Chana Dal provides 33% of your protein for the day. Chana dal is for a healthy heart and diabetic friendly, also rich in fiber. Read this article on complete benefits of chana dal.

3. Onions : Yes, its a great antioxidant. The phytochemical present in onions along with their Vitamin C help boost your immunity. The chromium in onions help regulate your blood pressure. The sulphur in the onion which brings you tears is actually good for your eyes. Raw onions keep your heart healthy and see here for total benefits of onions.

4. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.  

5. Ghee : Other than calories and fats, the only nutrients that ghee is rich in are the vitamins – all of which are fat-soluble. All the 3 vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K) are antioxidants which have a role in removing free radicals from the body and protecting our cell as well as help in maintaining skin health and glow. Ghee is an excellent, high-quality selection medium of cooking because of its high smoke point. As compared to most oils and butter, ghee can handle a smoke point of 230°C, 450°F, thus its less prone to oxidant and destruction of nutrients. Yes, ghee does contain cholesterol, but some amount of cholesterol is needed by the body. Cholesterol has some functions to play too. It is necessary for hormone production, brain function, cell health and lubricating the joints. It is, in reality, a high quality fat for the body and brain. Ghee is loaded with fats but that’s medium chain fatty acids (MCT) which aid in weight loss. Ghee is healthy for daibetics in small amounts and you need to check your fat intake at the same time. Learn to easily make your ghee at home which is free of preservatives. See benefits of ghee. 

6. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

What's the problem?

1. Vegetable Oils : To some vegetable oil is only soyabean oil, while some promote it as a mix of oils like soyabean, canola, sunflower, corn and other omega-6 rich oils. These are often cheaper options than many oils, but they are highly processed oils. They are undoubtedly not to be reached out for, whether you are looking for salad dressings, sautéing or cooking.  The 5 best oils used in cooking are olive oil (low temperature short time cooking), avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil and peanut oil. You must read the super article to find the facts of  which oil is the healthiest avoid vegetable oil. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Punjabi Dal tadka?

Yes, this recipe is very healthy. Diabetics and heart patients can enjoy this. Toor dal is high in fibre, provides protein and great for health.

Can healthy individuals have Punjabi Dal tadka?

Yes, all ingredients in this recipe are healthy.  Please have this Indian dal on a weekly basis. We love giving and making healthy recipes at tarla dalal.

What to have with Punjabi Dal Tadka?

Always confusing what to pair with a healthy dal. Rice or not. Our call is to look for healthy options. If you are having rice, we say take a very small amount of rice and loads of dal. Rice is high in carbs so watch it. 

We highly recommend having a bajra roti, jowar roti and whole wheat roti to make a healthy combination. Note that when you combine any dal with any cereal ( bajra, jowar, ragi, whole wheat ) then the protein quality is enhanced.

Jowar Roti

Punjabi Dal tadka is good for

1. Weight Gain

2. Diabetics (use low fat paneer)

3. Heart Patients (use low fat paneer)

4. Healthy Lifestyle

5. Building bones

6. Protects nerves

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym.

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover.

Punjabi Dal Tadka is high in

1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body. 

2. Fiber : Dietary fiber reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.

3. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 259 calories that come from one serving of Punjabi Dal Tadka?

Walking (6 kmph) = 1 hr 18 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 26 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 35 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 44 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.