Moong Dal

If you cannot find fenugreek leaves, fenugreek seeks also work. Coconut oil makes a good replacement for ghee.

Ingredients

1 cup moong dal (yellow mung lentils)
0.5 cup onions (1 small onion finely chopped)
1 cup tomatoes (1 large tomato, deseeded and chopped)
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ginger
2 green chili (slit or chopped, deseeded if required)
8 to 10 curry leaves (or 1 bay leaf)
0.25 teaspoon tumeric
0.5 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3.5 to 4 cups water
2 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, optional)

To temper:

2 tablespoons oil
4 to 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 dried red chilli
0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
12 to 16 curry leaves (optional)
0.25 teaspoon hing (asafoetida, optional)
0.5 teaspoon red chilli powder

Instructions

Add moong dal to a bowl and rinse it well and drain the water. Repeat rinsing a few times until the water runs clear. Let soak until you prepare the rest.

Chop onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger.

How to make Moong Dal (Stovetop):

Pour 1 tablespoon oil to a pressure cooker or pot. When the oil becomes slightly hot, add cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add ginger, green chilies, and 4 to 5 curry leaves.

Fry until aromatic for about a minute and add onions. Saute them until transparent or pink, for 2 to 3 mins.

Add tomatoes and salt. Saute for 1 to 2 mins. Stir in tumeric, red chilli powder and garam masala. To bring out the flavors, optionally saute for 1 to 2 mins.

Drain the water from the moong dal and add the lentils here. Pour water and mix well to deglaze the bottom of the cooker or pot.

Cover and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles on a medium flame. If cooking in a pot, pour more hot water as required and cook uncovered until the lentils are soft.

When the pressure drops, open the lid and add kasuri methi. If you prefer you can mash the moong dal a bit. Taste test and add more salt if required.

Moong dal is ready at this stage and you can serve as is. For extra flavour you may proceed to the next steps.

Tempering:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan on medium flame. Add the crushed garlic and dried red chillies. Let the garlic fry a bit but not brown.

Turn down the heat to low and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Turn off the heat and stir in red chilli powder and hing.

Pour this over the moong dal and mix gently. When the dal cools down a bit squeeze some lemon juice and serve.

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