Cookbook:Indian Moong Dal

This recipe is for cooking moong dal in the typical Indian way.

Ingredients

 * ½ cup moong dal
 * 3 green chiles
 * ½ tsp turmeric powder
 * 1½ cups water
 * Salt to taste
 * 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee
 * 1 sprig curry leaves
 * 1 tsp jeera (cumin)

Procedure

 * 1) Combine the dal, green chillies, turmeric powder, and water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 15 minutes, then leave the pressure cooker to release steam on its own.
 * 2) Open the pressure cooker and mash the cooked dal. Add salt to taste. Add more water if it is too thick and heat over a medium heat.
 * 3) Heat oil or ghee in a frying pan, then add jeera and curry leaves. After it splutters, pour it over the cooked dal.
 * 4) Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Additions

 * Try adding 1 tsp minced onion or shallot that has been browned in oil.
 * Mustard seeds fried in oil can also be added.

Plain dal
This variation is ideal for the children who do not eat spicy food:
 * 1) Cook the dal as described above. Remove the water above the dal and save it.
 * 2) Partially mash the dal with the back of a ladle. Mix in ¼–½ tsp turmeric, 1 pinch asafoetida, 5 g jaggery, and salt.
 * 3) Add enough of the saved water to make a soupy consistency (a bit thinner than soup). Boil it for 2–3 minutes.
 * 4) Serve with 2–3 more tsp ghee.

Tadka

 * 1) Cook the dal as described above. Remove the water above the dal and save it.
 * 2) Heat a few teaspoons oil in a pan. Add ½ tsp cumin seeds, 4–5 minced cloves of garlic, ½ inch minced ginger, and 1–2 torn green chiles. Cook until the spluttering subsides.
 * 3) Add ½ tsp ground turmeric and 2–3 chopped tomatoes. Sauté well.
 * 4) Stir in the cooked dal, along with enough reserved water to make it soupy. Season with salt to taste and keep warm.
 * 5) Heat a few tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 2–2½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, and 2–3 torn red chiles.
 * 6) Reduce the heat and mix in 1 tsp red chili powder. Pour the mixture over the dal, and serve hot.