Free templateRecipe card

Weeknight dal

A recipe card whose six steps run on a 35-minute clock, so you can see the tadka start while the lentils simmer.

Open this template

Free. It opens in the Motionix editor as your own copy.

Download the pictureWebP, 1200 × 848, free to use. To change the words or colours, open it in the editor.

Size: 1754 × 1240 px
Pages: 1
Motion: A still page; add motion if you like
Category: Posters and print

What it shows

Method drawn as a timeline
Quantities in their own column
A drawn pan

Good for

recipecookingfoodhome cookfamiliescardA4

How to use it

Open the template. It becomes a project in your account.
Change the words, colours and pictures. Every part is an ordinary shape, line or text box.
Add motion if it helps, then present it or export it.

What should be on a recipe card?

A recipe card holds everything a cook needs on one surface: the dish name, how many it serves, the total time, the ingredients with quantities, and the method in numbered steps. Good cards list ingredients in the order they are used and group them by stage, so the cook can gather everything first and follow along without turning a page.

When it helps

A home cook writing down a family recipe so others can make it the same way.
A cookery class handing out recipes students can take home.
A meal kit or veg box including a card with each recipe.
A cafe or community kitchen keeping consistent recipes on the wall for volunteers.

Tips

Give a sign of doneness as well as a time; until the cumin crackles is more reliable than one minute, because hobs and pans differ.
Use one system of measures throughout, metric or cups, and write units the same way every time.
Print cards for the kitchen on wipeable or laminated stock, or slip them in a sleeve; splashes ruin plain paper fast.

How to make a recipe card

Put the essentials at the top
Give the dish name, a one-line description, how many it serves, the total time and any dietary note, such as vegan with oil.
Group ingredients by stage
Split ingredients into parts of the dish, such as for the dal and for the tadka, listed in the order they are used.
Put quantities in their own column
Set amounts and units in a column of their own, such as 250 g or 1 tsp, so the cook can check them at a glance while measuring.
Write the method as numbered steps
Start each step with a verb, give times and signs of doneness, such as until golden, and keep one main action to each step.
Show what overlaps
Where two things cook at once, say so or draw the steps on a timeline, so the cook starts the second pan while the first one simmers.

FAQQuestions

Common questions.

What size is a recipe card?

Traditional recipe cards are 4 x 6 inches or A6 (105 x 148 mm), small enough for a file box. A5 or landscape A4 suits a recipe that needs a longer method or a timeline, and is easier to read propped up on a counter.

What is a tadka?

A tadka, also called tarka or tempering, is a technique used in South Asian cooking where whole spices such as cumin seeds are fried in hot ghee or oil to release their flavour, often with onion, garlic or chilli, then poured over a dish such as dal at the end.

Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking?

No. Red split lentils cook quickly, usually in 20 to 30 minutes, and break down into a soft purée without soaking. Rinse them in a sieve until the water runs almost clear, which removes dust and some of the starch that causes foaming.