KITCHEN PRACTICE 3 — Tadka Stirred In vs. Poured On Top
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Chapter: Indian Cookery 6 — Dal: Lentils, Pressure-Cooking & a Finishing Tadka

TASK
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Split a finished pot of dal and finish it two ways — one with the
tadka stirred in and simmered briefly, one with the tadka poured on
top just before serving — and compare the aroma of each.

WHAT TO DO
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1. Cook a batch of dal to full softness and mash it, then split it
   into two bowls or small pots.
2. Make a tadka as usual — ghee, cumin seeds, dried red chili, garlic,
   asafoetida, bloomed until fragrant.
3. Split the tadka in half. Stir one half into Pot A and let it
   simmer gently together for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour the other half over Pot B directly, right before serving,
   with no further cooking.
5. Smell and taste both immediately.

WHAT TO EXPECT
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- Pot B (poured, not simmered) should smell noticeably sharper and
  more immediately aromatic, with the tempering spices' own scent
  still distinct and fresh.
- Pot A (stirred in and simmered) should smell more blended-in and
  muted, with the tadka's own aroma less distinct from the dal
  itself.
- The visible sizzle and immediate aroma burst when the tadka first
  hits the dal is something Pot A never gets to show off at the
  table, since it happened earlier and was already stirred away.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This exercise is the dal-specific version of Chapter 5's own
garam-masala timing experiment, applied here to a whole-spice
tempering finish rather than a ground spice blend — and it makes the
chapter's own "poured on, not stirred in" rule something tasted and
smelled directly, not just followed on faith.