Learn to make egg tadka recipe Bengali style with step-by-step photos and a guide. Egg tadka or dimer torka is a Bengali favorite recipe. Hot and spicy moong and chana dal with spices and scrambled egg is a true delight with a choice of tawa roti, tandoori roti, or rumali roti.
Tadka dal is a popular dhaba delicacy, especially in North And East Indian states. People simply call it 'tadka', which is basically a modified version of the Punjabi dal. Unlike other dals, it is prepared in gravy form and is inexpensive.
But In Bengal, the appeal of tadka is not limited to dhaba only. In Calcutta, you get tons of roadside restaurants and street vendors selling tarka-roti every day. Along with veg tadka and egg tadka, you will also find chicken tadka or mutton tadka in some places.
Making Bengali egg tadka at home is easy. This main dish recipe involves soaking and pressure cooking the dals followed by tempering them with spices, and then mixing scrambled eggs into the gravy.
Not fond of eggs, skip the egg, the plain version tastes equally good. You can also make it lighter or vegan by omitting butter. You can even use your choice of dals to make it more nutritious.
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Instructions (Step By Step)
- Wash and soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.
- Wash again and take the dals in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder, and water. Pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles over low flame.
- Once done, turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release on its own.
- In the meantime, beat the egg along with a pinch of salt.
- Heat a little oil in a pan. Once the oil turns hot, pour the beaten egg, wait for a few seconds then slowly stir it over medium flame until cooked.
- Then transfer it to a plate and set it aside to use later.
- Heat vegetable oil and butter in the same pan.
- Add bay leaf and chopped onion. Fry until light golden brown.
- Now add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chili. Sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add turmeric and chili powder. Saute to mix.
- Add chopped tomato, followed by salt. Saute until the tomato becomes soft and pulpy.
- Add cumin powder and coriander powder. Saute for a minute.
- Sprinkle a dash of water and saute until the masala releases oil.
- Pour the boiled dal followed by the excess water into the tadka masala and let it boil over a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Add scrambled egg, along with kasuri methi powder (dried fenugreek leaves powder), and garam masala powder. Stir to mix. Cover and turn off the flame and allow it to rest for 5 minutes to combine the flavors.
- Calcutta-style egg tadka is ready to serve. You can serve hot adding a dollop of butter on top.
To make it ahead
You can make the tadka masala ahead of time. Don't add dal and egg to it. Cool completely and refrigerate as needed in an airtight glass container. When you prefer to consume, heat the tadka masala, sprinkle a dash of water, and saute it for 2 minutes. You can use a little butter if you like. Then add the cooked dal, and scrambled egg, and cook for 2 minutes. Add garam masala powder, kasuri methi powder, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Most of the time I pair egg tadka with plain roti. However, it goes well with all Indian breads. Like rumali roti, tandoor roti, paratha, lachha paratha, naan, butter naan, and so on.
- It could be served with plain rice, basmati rice, or jeera rice as well.
- If you plan for a simple Indian meal then tadka, roti, Kachumber salad, and plain sweet lassi go well together.
Recipe Notes
Dal: green moong dal and chana dal is a must. In addition, you could use your choice of dals as well.
Chili: Both green chilies and red chili powder are used for heat and flavor. You could reduce the amount or use non-spicy ones as well.
Kasuri methi powder has a more intense flavor than plain Kasuri methi. However, either one could be used. For Kasuri methi powder, dry roast Kasuri methi on a tawa or pan for a minute and transfer to a plate. Then once cool down crush with a hand to make a powder.
Garam masala powder - Homemade or storebought. Any garam masala powder would do the job.
Make sure not to add too much water. The gravy should not be very thick or thin.
Increase the quantities of dals and all ingredients, if serving more than three persons.
For plain tadka or veg tadka skip the egg. You can even skip butter for a lighter version.
More dal recipes:
If you try this recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. I love hearing from you and it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe
Easy Bengali Egg Tadka Recipe
Ingredients
For cooking dal
- ½ cup whole green moong dal
- ¼ cup chana dal/Bengal gram dal
- Salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 cups water
For scrambled egg
- 1-2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 pinch salt
For tadka masala
- 1 tablespoon oil (I used sunflower oil)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium-sized onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1 large tomato chopped
- Salt as required
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder non-spicy
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi powder (dried fenugreek leaves powder)
Instructions
Cooking the dal
- Wash and soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.
- Wash again and take the dals in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder, and water. Pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles over low flame.
- Once done, turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release on its own.
Scrambling egg
- In the meantime, beat the eggs along with a pinch of salt.
- Heat a little oil in a pan. Once the oil turns hot, pour the beaten egg, wait for a few seconds, then slowly scramble it using a spatula.
- Then transfer to a plate and set aside to use later.
Preparing tadka
- Heat oil and butter in a pan.
- Add bay leaf and chopped onion. Fry until light golden brown.
- Now add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add turmeric and chili powder. Saute to mix.
- Add chopped tomato, followed by salt. Saute until the tomato softens and pulpy.
- Add cumin and coriander powder. Saute for a minute.
- Sprinkle a dash of water and saute until the masala releases oil.
- Pour cooked dal over the masala, stir it, and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add scrambled eggs along with Kasuri methi powder, and garam masala powder. Stir to mix, cover and turn off the flame. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes to combine all the flavors.
- Calcutta style egg tadka is ready to serve. You can serve hot adding a dollop of butter on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dal: green moong dal and chana dal is a must. In addition, you could use your choice of dals.
- Chili: Both green chili and red chili powder are used for heat and flavor. You could reduce the amount or use non-spicy ones as well.
- Kasuri methi powder has a more intense flavor than the plain Kasuri methi. However, either one could be used. For Kasuri methi powder, dry roast Kasuri methi on a tawa or pan for a minute and transfer to a plate. Then once cool down crush with a hand to make a powder.
- Garam masala powder - Homemade or storebought. Any garam masala powder would do the job.
- Make sure not to add too much water. The gravy should not be very thick or thin.
- Increase the quantities of dals and all ingredients, if serving more than three persons.
- For plain tadka or egg-free version skip the egg. You can even skip butter for a lighter option.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
Nutrition information is a general estimate only. Actual values may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used. For the most accurate information, please consult a registered dietitian or use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Kathy Gertzberg says
What is three whistles? My pressure cooker is electric and can be manually programmed in minutes. This sounds delicious.
Dianne Sharma-Winter says
omg so delicious, I felt like I was back in Kolkatta!