Name: Slow cooker toor dal with cumin and tomato tarka
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250g toor dal, split pigeon peas, or yellow split peas, rinsed until the water runs clear; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 30g fresh ginger, grated; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1l water; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 dried red chillies; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 lemon, juiced; 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Slow cooker toor dal with cumin and tomato tarka

Creamy yellow dal that cooks by itself all day, finished with a sizzling garlic, cumin and chilli tarka stirred in at the end.

Time6 hrs 30

LevelEasy

Costabout £0.75 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

184kcal
19.1gcarbs
5gof which sugars
8.7gfat
2.3gsaturates
6.8gprotein
6gfibre
1.7gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 servings

Method

1
Tip the rinsed dal into the slow cooker with the onion, half the tomatoes, the ginger, turmeric, salt and water. Stir once.
2
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the dal has collapsed into a soft, thick soup.
360 min
3
Whisk the dal hard with a whisk or potato masher for a minute until creamy. Add a splash of hot water if it is too thick.
4
For the tarka, heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and chillies and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until just golden. Do not let it burn.
1 min
5
Stir in the ground coriander and the remaining tomato and cook for 2 minutes until soft.
2 min
6
Pour the tarka over the dal, stir through the lemon juice and fresh coriander, and taste for salt. Serve with rice or flatbreads.