Padma Lakshmi Eats This Cozy 25-Minute Dinner 'Almost Every Day’

Ask any of her Instagram followers, and they’ll tell you that Padma Lakshmi’s kitchen has become quite the recognizable backdrop. The award-winning food expert and television host has shared how to make many of her favorite foods, from her “fantasy snack” chaat-chos to the dishes that comfort her most. So, it comes as no surprise that she recently uploaded a video about the lentil dish she and her family “eat at home … almost every day”.

In her reel, Lakshmi explains how to make her tadka dal or yellow masoor dal. It’s a popular Indian dish made of two components: a lentil base and a one-pot mixture of tomatoes, spices and aromatics. Lakshmi says, “it’s only gonna take like 25 minutes,” so it seems great for a quick, vegetarian dinner to enjoy after a busy day. Here’s how to make it at home.

To make Lakshmi’s tadka dal, you’ll need one large skillet or sauté pan and one pot. Start by rinsing dry red lentils in the pot. Then, bring the lentils and two dried bay leaves to a boil in water. Lakshmi recommends using a ratio of three to four cups of water for every cup of lentils. Since Lakshmi makes this dish almost every day, it seems like she doesn’t need to do much measuring. If you’re not as familiar with the dish, be sure to taste as you go and adjust seasonings according to your palate.

While the lentils cook, add a thin layer of neutral oil like avocado or canola to a skillet over medium heat. Here, you’ll be infusing the oil with fragrant spices and veggies to make the tadka. Add ingredients like whole cumin seeds, finely diced shallot, torn curry leaves, green chile peppers, salt and turmeric to the oil. Then, Lakshmi adds diced fresh tomato to the pan, though you could probably use canned. After that, season the tadka with spices like ginger, sambar powder, amchur powder and a couple more torn curry leaves.

One fan asked Lakshmi in the comments about where to find certain spices like sambar powder and amchur (dried mango) powder. Luckily, she responded with her go-to specialty food store recommendation, Kalustyan’s, which has both ingredients readily available. The NYC-based store does ship their spices if you don’t live in the area.

Once the lentils are cooked, the rest of the steps are even simpler than the previous ones, if you can believe it. Pour the hot tadka from the skillet into the pot of lentils. Finish the recipe off with sliced fresh cilantro, a bit of ghee and a squeeze of lemon juice. And there you have it! The dish looks so tasty and comforting, and we can’t wait to make it ourselves. 

Lakshmi’s tadka dal is also a healthy choice for dinner, since foods like lentils, tomatoes and spices have some amazing nutritional properties. Lentils are rich in fiber and protein, which can help you feel full for longer. Tomatoes are rich in potassium and other nutrients that can support heart health. Plus, spices like turmeric and ginger give the dish an inflammation-fighting boost.

Once you’ve got the gist of the recipe down, try making your own adjustments. Some people in the comments are sounding off about sprucing their tadka dal up with other aromatics and veggies that they love. Our own Daal Tarka (Spiced Lentils) features ingredients like garlic, fenugreek and red chile powder, making it a delicious dinner with all the measurements to help you through the process. Not to mention, the recipe was guest-edited by Lakshmi in the October 2021 issue of EatingWell, so we’re already sure she’d approve.