Blooming Spices in Fat (Tadka)

In Indian cooking, tadka or tarka means frying whole spices in hot ghee or oil to pull their flavor into the fat. Heat two tablespoons of ghee until shimmering. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then cumin seeds, a dried chili and a few curry leaves; they sizzle for a few seconds. Add garlic last because it burns fastest. Pour the hot fat over cooked dal or yogurt right away. It works at the start of a dish too, before the onions go in. Have everything measured before the pan heats up.