Egg Tadka/ Egg Torka or also referred to as Dimer Torka is a famous Kolkata Street Food. It is a lovely creamy medley of green mung bean and split chickpeas (chana dal) along with eggs. Add a dollop of butter and enjoy it with your choice of paratha, roti or Naan.
What is Egg Tadka or Egg Torka
Egg Tadka or Torka is a wholesome meal that you can even enjoy vegetarian by skipping the egg. It is a very famous street food in Kolkata.
This dhaba style rich lentil-based dish is hearty and comforting!
The variety of lentils/beans that are added in Egg Tadka/Torka
Green Mung Beans are a must which is sometime mixed with split Black Gram (Urad Daal) or Chana Daal.
If you are used to cooking different variety of dal you will realize that each gives a different texture.
The combination of green mung bean with split chicken (chana daal) works amazing since the mung bean makes the dal creamy which chana daal adds the texture.
You can prepare this recipe using just mung beans too.
Adding the Egg in Egg Tadka / Dimer Torka Dal
There are straight forward two different ways you can add egg to this Torka Dal.
- You cook the egg separately like scarambled eggs and then add it to the Todka once it’s done cooking. Right at the end.
- You whisk the egg and add it straight to the curry right at the end and cook the egg along with the beans.
I followed the second step only because the whisked eggs create another level of creaminess to the dish.
If you need to serve this dish in a party, I recommend keeping the scrabbled egg separate, just in case someone would prefer this dish eggless.
The Torka Dal is equally hearty and delicious without the egg.
Preparing the dish in Instapot or Electric/ Indian Pressure Cooker
I use my electric pressure cooker to boil the bean and daal but then the rest of the cooking I prefer doing in the skillet.
You can definitely make the entire dish in the instapot or Electric/ Indian Pressure Cooker too.
Keynote: One keynote to remember when you are making this Egg Torka Daal is to make sure you do not cook the texture to mushy or too watery.
Tempering or Adding Tadka at the end:
This step is not done traditionally. No special tadka goes at the end. But I did break the rule here, by adding the sizzling sliced ginger green chili in ghee. I felt it added an extra richness and flavor to the dish.
You can definitely skip this part!
Enjoy Tadka warm with your choice of bread. I feel roomali roti is the perfect pairing or Naan or Pav, but on a busy day even our regular Indian roti or paratha is great.
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Bengali Egg Tadka Dal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup split chickpea (chana dal)
- ½ cup green mung beans
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 inch fresh ginger (thinly slice half of it and finely chop the rest)
- 2 green chili ((finely chop one of it and slit the second one))
- 1 red onion (6 oz, finely chop)
- 1 tomato (6oz, finely chop)
- 2 eggs (whisked in a bowl and keep aside)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon fennel powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons ghee (only if you are giving the tadka on top)
Instructions
- Wash the mung beans and split chickpea and then soak it together overnight.
- Next day boil it together with little salt
- In a heavy bottom skillet or pan at medium heat, pour the oil and once it's heats up add the bay leaf, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and the dry red chili. Toss it around for a few seconds, then add the finely chopped ginger, garlic and finely chopped green chili.
- Add the chopped onion, season with salt and then cook the onion until mild golden color.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened.
- Sprinkle the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and ½ teaspoon chili powder. Toss it around and then add some splashes of water to avoid the spices from sticking to the pan.
- Sauté and let the spice cook for 5 minutes and release oil.
- Add the boiled dal and toss it around. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and then cover and let it cook for 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add any if needed.
- Then remove the lid, whisk the two eggs that was kept aside and pour it to the pan. Give a mix and let the egg cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the fenugreek leaves and mix it around.
- Bengali style Egg Tadka Daal is ready to be served. If you like to add an extra tadka on top and follow the below steps.
- In small pan heat the ghee, add the cumin seeds followed by sliced ginger and slit green chili. Let it sizzle for few seconds and then switch off the heat and add the chili powder. Give it a mix and pour it on the Egg Tadka Daal.
- Enjoy it warm paired with your choice of bread.
Video
Nutrition
