Instant Tadka for Indian Dishes (Part 1)

Almost 80 percent of Indian dinner and lunch recipes have same method of preparing tadka. So when you are a very busy parent, intant tadka is a great rescue for daily routine. It just takes 2 hours of any Saturday and you can prepare your instant tadka for whole month. I tried preparing this tadka in 3 different ways and will share all of them in 3 blogs.

Today’s method is preparing tadka by chopping.

Ingredients (for 15 days)

• 1 kg onion ( cut in halves in dip in water for 1 hour to get tear free chopping later)
• 1 kg tomato, finely chopped (better with chopper to save time an efforts)
• 100 GM’s of garlic cloves (30-40 cloves) finely chopped
• 100 GM’s of ginger (grated)
• 50 GM’s green chillies finely chopped (as per your taste buds)
• 3 tbsp of garam masala
• 2 tbsp of cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp of coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp of asafoetida powder
• 1 tbsp of turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp of salt
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp of kitchen king masala
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup refined oil

Procedure

1. In a big kadhai take refined oil and add cumin seeds.
2. When they begin to sputter and release aroma add chopped garlic and green chillies. Let them cook for 5 minutes on medium flame till lightly brown. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
3. Then add finely chopped onion to it and mix properly. Turn the flame on high and add 1/2 cup water. Now add 1 tbsp of salt.
4. Cook onion on high flame with occassional stiring till they turn light golden.
5. Then add finely chopped tomato and grated ginger and mix properly.
6. Again add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 cup of water.
7. Cook on high flame for 5-7 minutes and later reduce the flame between low to medium.
8. Cover the kadhai with lid and let it cook for 15 minutes on low flame.
9. After 15 minutes add add the spices and mix properly.
10. Then add 1/2 cup of water on let it cook on low flame for 45 minutes with occassional stiring.
11. Meanwhile if you feel that your tadka is getting burn or sticking to the base of kadhai just keep adding a dash of water.
12. Ones the tadka has released 50 percent of refined oil on the sides, add Kasoori methi and mix properly.
13. Turn off the flame and let your tadka cool down at room temperature. It may take 3-4 hours.
14. Ones the tadka comes down to room temperature put it in some air tight container and freeze it.
15. Your tadka can be stored in freezer for almost 2 months. (I prefer only for month)

How to use ( serving for 4)

1. In the pan take 1 or 1/2 tbsp of oil or ghee and add 1/4 tbsp of cumin seeds.
2. Then add the instant Tadka and immediately add a dash of water so that the frozen tadka can melt in the pan easily without sticking to the base.
3. Ones the tadka has melted add the required spices.
4. Remember that your tadka already contains few of the important spices so adjust the spices accordingly.
5. Thats it add your chopped veggies or dal or chicken etc.
6. Cook your dish as per the recipe.

Important Points

• You can blend together garlic, ginger and green chillies to make a paste. By doing so your can skip the 2. Add this paste ones you add chopped tomatoes.
• Be careful about the consistency of the tadka. It should be as thick as possible.
• Ones your tadka is ready do to taste it, so that when you use your instant Tadka next time, you have the idea about how much spices you need to add as per your dish.
• While preparing instant Tadka do not add excess of spices. Less taste of spices can be adjusted later while cooking.