Uncategorised, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • Every ABCD remembers their favorite aunty or uncle tempering spices in oil: The popping of mustard seeds, the crackle of cumin seeds, sizzle of onions in hot oil, and the smell of curry leaves.
  • That process is called tarka, spelled t-a-r-k-a or sometimes t-a-d-k-a. It is also known as chhaunk in some parts of India.2 Both of those names are Hindi. We’ll come back to names for tarka in other Indian languages a little later.
  • Tarka is the tempering of spices and other ingredients such as onions, dried chilies, and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee.1
  • It is a cooking technique used throughout South Asia including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
  • The technique releases flavor from those ingredients which enhances the flavor of the entire dish.1 While many cuisines across the world temper and bloom spices in heat, tarka is uniquely South Asian. If you are learning to cook Indian food, this is the one technique that will transform your dishes from tasting like an ABCD-imitating-their-parents’ food to aunty-level-flavors.
  • Tarka can be done at the beginning of cooking before adding other ingredients or at the end in a separate pot and then pouring the oil into the finished dish.1
  • We’ll talk about why tarka adds so much flavor and how to do one in a couple of minutes, but first here is some background.

Origin of the word tarka and other names for it in India

  • While researching his book Masala Lab, Krish Ashok analyzed recipes from all over South Asia. He says despite the huge diversity of ingredients, flavors, and textures in the subcontinent, tarka is the one common cooking technique in all of South Asia.7 While Punjabi food tastes nothing like Mayali food and Assamese food is nothing like Gujarati food, they all use tarka.
  • Tarka comes from the Sanskrit root tratatkara meaning “crackles or fizzes” which is the sound many ingredients make in hot oil. The word tarka is used by many Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Sindhi speaking families.
  • Chhaunk is the second most common name for this technique and it is used in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Oriya, and Rajasthani.
  • Another name is baghar (ba-ghar) which is the typical term in Bengali.
  • Similarly, vaghar (va-ghar) is used in Gujarati.1
  • Other common names are talippu (thaa-lip-oo) in Tamil, fodni (fod-nee) in Marathi, and oggarane (og-gar-un-ey) in Kennada.7

Common ingredients used in tarka

  • Many ingredients can be used in a tarka.
  • Tarka is a good reason to have a masala dhaba spice box for adding spices in quick succession.
  • Seeds include black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds.
  • Leaves include curry leaves and bay leaves.
  • Dried and fresh chili pepper can also be used.
  • Both powdered spices and whole spices can be used such as hing, saffron, black peppercorns, and cloves.
  • Finally, extra flavor can be extracted from lentils and alliums like onions and garlic using a tarka.1


The science of tarka

  • Why is tarka such an important technique in Indian cuisine? It pulls maximum flavor from the ingredients in the dish.
  • Nik Sharma, a molecular biologist, food blogger, and author of The Flavor Equation, notes that applying heat to most dried spices helps move fragrances out of the spices.4 The spices release fat-soluble flavor compounds to the oil. The flavors then distribute more effectively in oil than they would in a water-based or dry medium.6
  • In addition, spices are sometimes dried to improve shelf life. In Indian cooking this can be true for dried chilies, dried leaves, turmeric, cumin, coriander and others. A tarka in oil can release a fuller flavor from the dried spices.

When to do a tarka

  • A tarka can be done at the beginning or end of cooking so which is better?
  • A tarka at the beginning gives the flavors time to blend into the whole dish better. This is useful for dishes where you cook for a long time, such as seasoning meat or simmering saucy dishes.
  • A tarka at the end keeps the spice flavors distinct from other parts of the dish. The eater may notice the individual spices better.3
  • A tarka at the end may also be used for a fancy presentation of the dish. By pouring the oil and spices on top of the dish, the oil pools at the top with the tempered whole spices and leaves which is a very nice look while serving the dish to guests. This is commonly done for chutneys and dals served in small bowls.
  • You can also do a tarka before and after to combine the benefits of both methods.

How to make a tarka

  • Now that we discussed why to do a tarka, how do you prepare a tarka yourself?
  • First, what oil should you use? (high smoke point)
    • Traditionally, the oil used in a tarka was whatever was locally available in that region of India.
    • South India sometimes uses coconut oil as coconuts are plentiful in many southern regions of India, especially Kerala.
    • My Tamil family often uses peanut oil because they grew peanuts on their farm for centuries.
    • Mustard oil is used from Uttar Pradesh to Bengal.
    • Punjabi cuisine often uses ghee.
    • If you aren’t sure what your family uses, ask your favorite aunty.
    • You can really choose whatever you want although I recommend keeping the oil flavor and smoke point in mind.
    • Some oils have their own flavors and will add that flavor to your dish. Coconut oil, sesame oil, mustard oil, and ghee all add their own flavors to the dish. You can also use neutral oils like peanut oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil to not add additional flavors.4
    • When you decide what oil to use, especially as a beginner, try to pick one with a high smoke point. Heating oil to its smoke point can make it taste bitter and rancid. Of the oils and fats I mentioned, peanut oil and ghee have the highest smoke points at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Coconut and sesame oils have the lowest smoke points at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.5 As you get experience, you may feel more comfortable using oils with lower smoke points.
  • Next, what pot should you use? I recommend a small pot and preferably one with a round bottom like a small wok. That will allow you to use less oil because the ingredients will collect at the bottom in the oil. With a flat bottom pan, you will need to have a layer of oil covering the entire bottom of the pot to get ingredients to heat evenly which uses more oil. I also prefer a pot that you can cover which will keep your stove clean and avoid small oil burns on your hands and arms.
  • Finally, what order to add the ingredients? Generally, go in the order of least likely to burn to most likely to burn.
  • Here are the steps to do a tarka:
    • First heat the oil. I think the oil is ready when it shimmers after you move the pot a bit. But the best test is to add one mustard seed. It should pop within three seconds. If it doesn’t pop, turn up the heat. If it pops instantly, turn down the heat a bit. Then test again a minute later.
    • First add whole spices such as mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Cover the pot because these will pop and crackle.
    • After those pop or crackle, add larger pieces such as lentils or cinnamon sticks.
    • Then add onions, ginger, and shallots.
    • Next is hing and other ground spices. They will cook quickly so move on to the next step as soon as you smell them bloom.
    • Dried chilies go next.
    • Then add fresh chilies and garlic which both cook very quickly and could burn easily.
    • Finally add any leaves, such as curry leaves or bay leaves. Cover the pot quickly to avoid any oil splashing on your stove or you.
    • Turn off the heat.4
  • If that sounds confusing, you can watch a few videos of me doing a few different types of tarka on the Cook Like An Aunty YouTube channel. The links are in this episode’s show notes.
  • While performing these steps remember to use your senses: smell the spices blooming, listen for seeds and leaves crackling, looking for ingredients like dal browning or onions turning translucent. Tarka is a technique that takes some practice to get right. Be patient and don’t expect perfection on your first try.

Dishes that include a tarka

  • There are many dishes that often start or finish with a tarka.
  • When you eat at a South Indian restaurant, you will notice a tarka of mustard seeds and curry leaves on top of the coconut and tomato chutneys served with your dosa, idlis, and vadas. The sambar also has a tarka at the beginning or end of cooking.
  • Dal tarka is a dish that is simply named after its components: dal and the tarka used to finish the dish. This dish is a good example of taking a fairly ordinary food, the split pigeon peas known as toor dal and adding copious amounts of flavor to it with a tarka. The ingredients used in the tarka can vary by household or restaurant, but it often includes ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chilies, garlic, hing, and curry leaves.
  • Even yogurt can get a tarka for extra flavor. As a child I was a picky eater, but one of my favorite foods was yogurt rice, also known as curd rice. In its simplest form, it is just plain rice with yogurt which is how I preferred it as a kid. I remember going to parties with my parents’ Indian friends and thinking that the yogurt rice was ruined because someone put oil, mustard seeds, and curry leaves on it. Of course, as an adult I appreciate a good tarka on that dish. I hope my kids appreciate the complex flavors of Indian cuisine one day too.
  • Many other dishes can use a tarka such as aloo gobi, khichdi, kadhi, poriyal, and tamarind rice. There are so many dishes that can benefit from adding a tarka. Please let me know your favorite dish with a tarka by emailing me at contact [at] cooklikeanaunty [dot] com.
  • Thank you for listening! You can find a transcript and the sources used to make this episode on cooklikeanaunty.com/tarka. You can also find recipes for popular Indian dishes on the website or the Cook Like An Aunty YouTube channel. Links in the show notes.
  • Thanks for listening and see you next time!

Sources

  1. Tempering (spices) – Wikipedia
  2. Tarka – Wikipedia
  3. Adding Spices and Herbs to Food – Spice Advice.
  4. What is tadka tarka chaunk chhonk baghaar – Serious Eats
  5. Cooking Fats 101 – Serious Eats
  6. Blooming Frying Ground Spices in Oil – Serious Eats
  7. The Science of Tadka (featuring Abhijit Bannerjee) – KrishAshok YouTube

Show Notes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *