Hi Jeepster,  Welcome to this site and enjoy!  What are your favourite dishes?

Where I come from all the restaurants use quite a bit of oil.  The last few years I have been to the States and hardly any oil used and the taste, texture and end result has been very disappointing.  There are people on this forum who will always disagree to agree and we get nowhere.  This is because we are all from different places in the world and different regions of those countries. Just a thought. 

To emulate a decent curry you need to use all that oil.  I wonder with everyone being so health conscious these days this is why standards have dropped.  The lack of oil will mean lack of depth in flavour maybe.  When I have tried making healthy curries they have not turned out too good - less oil!  Just a thought.

Hi Roy,

Taking out the burnt garlic would certainly be the way to go, as you will have the flavour in the oil.  Maybe this could be what you are looking for!  Are you going to try this with spiced oil?  I have done in the past.

This recipe that I use each week came from a restaurant and I have had tarka dhal made this way in other restaurants too.  Other restaurants tend to either cook the garlic with the dhal or fry the garlic with veg oil/spiced oil and then mix it in with the dhal.  Maybe its a regional difference!

Hi Roy,  Please try it, unless you do you won't know.  I can assure you that it is the business.  If I don't have a tarka dhal the my meal iss not complete!

Hi Roy,  This is a dish I make every Saturday.  Cook your lentils according to your recipe, put into a serving dish and then heat some sesame oil, add 1 tsp cummin seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add your fresh garlic slices and cook until dark brown in colour.  This is the tarka and is tipped over the top of your dhal.  I have to have my tarka dhal every week, it is the best side dish ever.

Hi Layne,  This particular curry, what flavours does it have?  Sweet, sour, hot?  It could be ceylon - does it have a coconutty taste?  Describe what flavours it has and then we may be able to help.

Hi and welcome,  Pathia would be the best one for you to make.  Although you can make any type of curry to the heat you want, on the whole dhansak is a medium heat.  Pathia is hot, sweet and sour and has great flavour!  I make this most weekends for my other half.  I hope it all goes well for you and let us know.

Hi Layne,

Welcome and hope you will enjoy reading through all the threads!