Masoor Dal Tadka Bowl

The fastest-cooking high-protein dal, simmered extra thick and finished with a restrained one-teaspoon ghee tadka — eaten as the main bowl, not a side. Low-calorie, low-fat, and high-volume, it makes an ideal cutting-phase dinner despite its carb-forward split.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ghee
• Fresh coriander to finish
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Pressure-cook the masoor dal with turmeric and salt using less water than usual.
2. Simmer with the chopped tomato until thick and spoon-coating.
3. Heat the ghee and crackle cumin and garlic until golden.
4. Pour the tadka over the dal.
5. Top with coriander and eat it as a bowl, not a side.