Dal tadka: log a pot that is mostly water.
Dal is a pot of lentils that you thin with water until it pours. That makes it a perfect test of the finished weight field, because the ingredients weigh 554 g and the pot weighs far more.
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,350 g when finished
- 265 kcal a serving, with 13 g protein, 38 g carbs and 8 g fat
- 9 ingredients, every one a USDA FoodData Central entry in the library
The sample data
These are the amounts used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red lentils, raw | 200 g | 716 | 48 | 126 | 4 |
| Onions, raw | 100 g | 40 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Tomatoes, red, raw | 200 g | 36 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 25 g | 219 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Garlic | 12 g | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Ginger root | 10 g | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Cumin seed | 3 g | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Turmeric, ground | 3 g | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Red or cayenne pepper | 1 g | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 554 g | 1,060 | 53 | 153 | 30 |
| Per serving (4) | 338 g | 265 | 13 | 38 | 8 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
A bowl of dal can be thin or thick depending on who made it, and the calories per bowl change with it. Entering the weight of the pot lets you eat a bowl you weighed, not a bowl you guessed.
What to weigh
The ingredients add up to 554 g, but after adding water and simmering, the sample pot weighs 1,350 g. That is 337.5 g a serving, and a lighter food per gram than lentils out of the bag.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Create a recipe and search "red lentils". Choose the raw pink or red entry, since the lentils are weighed dry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter 200 g. The amount sheet shows 716 kcal and 48 g of protein for the lentils alone.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the tomatoes, onions, ghee, garlic, ginger and spices. The tadka's ghee is small by weight and large by calories.
4. Save it and log a serving
Enter 4 servings and weigh the pot at the end. The library has no entry for water and it needs none: the finished weight carries it.
Tips while you build it
- Do not add water as an ingredient. Weigh the finished pot instead and enter that in Finished weight.
- Weigh the pot with the pot's own weight taken off. Zero a kitchen scale with the empty pot on it.
- Because the dal is thin, log it in grams and not as a cup. A ladle of dal is not a fixed amount.
Make it your own
- Use the entry for the lentil you actually cook with and keep the same amounts.
- Cut the ghee to a teaspoon and see what a lighter tadka saves per serving.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Dal tadka questions.
How many calories are in dal tadka?
The sample pot of four servings comes to 265 kcal a serving, with 13 g protein, 38 g carbs and 8 g fat. A thicker dal with the same ingredients has fewer grams a serving and the same calories.
Do I need to add water as an ingredient?
No. Water has no calories. Weigh the finished pot and enter that weight, and the dish is worked out per gram of what you serve.
Why is my serving weight so large?
Because it is mostly water. The serving size shown is the finished weight divided by the servings, so it matches the bowl you filled.
More example recipes.
- Chana masala309 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Butter chicken498 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Hummus bi tahini211 kcal a serving, 8 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Mujadara337 kcal a serving, 6 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Chicken shawarma (oven tray)444 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Spaghetti bolognese499 kcal a serving, 6 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Chicken cacciatore639 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Turkey chili326 kcal a serving, 6 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
- Homemade cheeseburgers456 kcal a serving, 4 servings, from USDA FoodData Central ingredients.
Keep going.
- Recipe builderWhat the builder does, and every example recipe in one place.
- Indian food caloriesPer 100 g tables for the dishes the food library finds.
- Nutrition and macro trackingBarcodes, label reading, targets that follow your weigh-ins.
- Help: scan, create and recipesThe same steps in the Help Center.
Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build your own indian favourite in Nutrition.