Tulsi-Tempered Yellow Dal with Cumin Rice
Creamy moong dal simmered in tulsi tea broth and finished with a sizzling clove-cumin tadka—comforting, fragrant, and ready in under an hour.
Using brewed tulsi tea as the cooking liquid for dal sounds unusual until you taste it. The tea's clove-pepper character melts into the lentils, leaving behind a faintly herbal, warmly spiced backbone that plain water can't match.
Moong dal is the ideal lentil here—it cooks quickly into a creamy, golden purée that absorbs the tulsi infusion without becoming muddy. A pinch of turmeric, ginger, and salt keeps the base bright and grounded.
The tadka, or tempering, is where the dish lifts off. Ghee sizzling with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried chili, and a few whole cloves goes on top right before serving—the cloves are a direct echo of tulsi's signature note and tie the bowl together.
Serve with a side of cumin-scented basmati rice and a wedge of lime. It's a humble weeknight dinner that tastes deeply nourishing, the kind of food that feels like medicine in the best way.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (split mung beans), rinsed
- 3 cups brewed tulsi tea (strong, 4 bags or 3 tbsp dried tulsi in 3 cups water)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- 2 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 dried red chili, broken
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup basmati rice (for serving)
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges
How to make it
- 1Brew tulsi tea strong (4 bags in 3 cups boiling water, steep 8 minutes). Strain into a measuring jug.
- 2In a medium pot, combine rinsed dal, brewed tulsi tea, turmeric, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until lentils are very soft and creamy. Whisk gently to break them down.
- 3Meanwhile, cook basmati rice with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in 1.5 cups water until fluffy.
- 4Make the tadka: heat ghee in a small pan over medium. When hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, and dried chili. Sizzle 30 seconds until fragrant, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds more until just golden.
- 5Pour the hot tadka directly over the dal—it should sputter. Stir gently to combine.
- 6Spoon dal into bowls alongside cumin rice. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
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