Tadka: spices bloomed in fat
Many aroma compounds in cumin and mustard seeds dissolve in fat rather than water. Drop whole seeds into hot ghee or oil for a few seconds and the fat picks up their aroma. Pour the sizzling fat over dal at the end to flavor the whole pot.
Add spices by toughness
Seeds are tough and need the most time, so mustard seeds go in first and cook until they pop. Cumin follows. Sliced garlic and dried chiles scorch in seconds, so they go in last. Pour while everything is still sizzling.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why is a tadka made in hot fat instead of in the simmering dal?
Spice aromas dissolve in fat, and heat releases them fast. Fat dissolves the oily aroma compounds that water leaves inside the seed.
True or false: For a tadka, whole spices go into cold fat that heats up slowly with them.
False. The fat should be hot first, so the seeds sizzle on contact and release aroma in seconds.
What went wrong? You fry sliced garlic in the tadka for two minutes until dark brown, then pour it over dal. The dal tastes acrid.
The garlic scorched, and burnt garlic tastes bitter. Garlic browns in seconds. Past golden, it makes bitter, harsh compounds.
Fill the blank: Aroma compounds in whole spices dissolve in ___, which is why tadka is made in hot fat.
Aroma compounds in whole spices dissolve in fat, which is why tadka is made in hot fat. Oily aroma compounds move into hot fat and spread through it.
Why pour tadka on at the end instead of simmering the spices in the dal from the start?
Long simmering drives off the volatile aromas. Volatile aroma compounds escape with steam, so a late pour keeps more.
True or false: Pouring tadka on just before serving delivers aroma that has not had time to cook off.
True. The aroma compounds are newly released into the fat and have not spent time in steam.