description: Hasan Minhaj confidently spelled out “dharka” while discussing dal. Here is what tadka actually means, why fried onions confused viewers, and how Rohan Joshi turned it into a Bollywood poster.
Hasan Minhaj described a topping for dal as “dharka” in a Food & Wine interview clip and even spelled it D-H-A-R-K-A. Viewers familiar with South Asian food asked whether he meant tadka, the spice-tempering technique. Indian comedian Rohan Joshi then edited the poster for the 2000 Hindi film Dhadkan, replacing its title with “Dharka” and its stars with Minhaj. One very confident food explanation acquired a whole imaginary film.
Dal is the dish; tadka is the technique
Dal, also written daal, is a family of South Asian dishes made with cooked pulses such as lentils. Tadka, also called tarka in some contexts, involves briefly heating spices, garlic or other aromatics in oil or ghee, then adding the fragrant fat to a dish. Onions can be part of a tadka, but the term does not simply mean a pile of fried onions. Crispy fried onions may be called birista in some cooking traditions.
“Dharka” was not identified by the Indian food writers covering this clip as a standard name for that topping. Food language does vary by region and household, so this is about the specific claim in the video rather than policing every family’s pronunciation. The detail that made people laugh was Minhaj spelling the unfamiliar word with total assurance.
The sequence: interview, correction, remix
The original is a short Food & Wine interview excerpt featuring Minhaj, an American comedian of Indian heritage, speaking to editor Kat Kinsman. He describes asking restaurants for extra “dharka,” meaning plenty of fried onions, and jokes that he wants so many onions that a romantic kiss afterward would be difficult. His delivery turns a simple restaurant preference into an elaborate speech.
By October 16, 2026, Pakistan’s Dawn Images had covered the confusion. Hindustan Times reported the spelling and social-media replies on October 19. India Today and NDTV published further coverage on October 21, including the film-poster remix. The exact first upload time of the interview excerpt was not independently established. Reporting documents South Asian responses, not a proven worldwide trend.
Some real commenters questioned the word; others compared his certainty to someone confidently inventing an answer. Those reactions are documented examples, not a vote by every Indian viewer.
Why Dhadkan makes the punchline work
Dhadkan means “heartbeat.” The 2000 Hindi romantic drama featured Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Shilpa Shetty. Joshi’s parody replaces their faces with Minhaj’s and renames the film “Dharka” (also rendered “Dharkaa” in some reports). It is an edited image posted by a comedian, not an announced remake.
The joke has two layers. The words Dhadkan and dharka are close enough to invite a title swap, while the visual edit inflates a tiny kitchen-language mistake into the starring role of a dramatic Bollywood romance. You do not need to know the movie’s plot to get it: the food vocabulary has been promoted to cinema.
Conclusion
The familiar culinary term is tadka; “dharka” is the expression that spread from this interview. The viral appeal lies in the confidence of the spelling and Joshi’s perfectly oversized response. Minhaj asked for extra flavour on his dal. The internet gave him a movie poster.
References (7)
- Food & Wine (@foodandwine), interview clip, original post date not independently verified: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DePbmM6iEfF/
- Rohan Joshi (@mojorojo), original parody post, exact date not independently verified: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Deq3gQ9NO-3/
- Hindustan Times, 2026-10-19, the spelling and audience responses: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/american-comedian-hasan-minhaj-trolled-for-saying-indians-order-their-dal-with-dharka-on-top-101792409187056.html
- India Today, 2026-10-21, Rohan Joshi's poster parody: https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/story/hasan-minhaj-dharka-dal-topping-internet-roast-rohan-joshi-dhadkan-meme-3021932-2026-10-21
- NDTV, 2026-10-21, Food & Wine interview and cooking terminology: https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/no-idea-about-hindi-vowels-internet-debates-as-hasan-minhaj-mispronounces-tadka-as-dharka-12215652
- Dawn Images, 2026-10-16, South Asian response: https://images.dawn.com/news/1196008/hasan-minhaj-said-he-likes-his-daal-with-extra-dharka-and-people-want-to-know-what-hes-talking-about
- Fandango, cast of Dhadkan (2000): https://www.fandango.com/dhadkan-1789/cast-and-crew
