Tadka
Whole spices crackled in hot fat, then poured over a dish; the signature finishing step of Indian cooking.
Also: tarka, chaunk, baghar, popu, tempering in oil
Tadka is the technique of frying whole spices, such as cumin, mustard seeds, dried chilli, curry leaves, garlic or asafoetida, in hot ghee or oil until they pop and release their aroma. The sizzling fat is then poured over cooked dal or added at the start of a vegetable dish. Names vary across the country: tarka in Punjab, chaunk in the north, baghar in Hyderabad, popu in Telugu. Timing matters, as seconds separate fragrant from burnt. The method works because many flavour compounds in spice are fat-soluble, so oil carries them through the whole dish. It is the Indian counterpart of blooming spices in oil.