Moong Dal

This is one of my more favorite Indian dishes. I absolutely love dal! Dal, in other words, are lentils. Let me tell you, when you go to an Indian supermarket you will find a million kinds of dal. Really!! Yellow, green, black, orange, sooooo many kinds, later I will make a post describing different types. A lot of Indians are vegetarians, so naturally they have to find a substitute for protein. That's where dal comes in.

Today I'm going to show you how to make moong dal. Moong dal is one that's for more of a daily use. I probably make this 2-3 times a week if not more. Once you get the hang of it, it's quiet fast and easy to make.

Ingredients:
Dal

• 3/4 c. moong dal
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes, pureed
• 2-3 tbsp oil, seperate
• 1 1/4 c. water
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 6-8 curry leaves

Directions:

1. The first thing you're gonna want to do is measure out your dal and rinse it well in water. Then add about 1 1/4 c. water and let it soak while you go through the next few steps.

2. Add 1-2 tbsp oil to a pressure cooker. Once hot add chopped onions and a little salt. Cook until onions start to turn translucent. 

3. Once the onions are cooked add pureed tomatoes, tumeric powder, and a little more salt.

Once it's all mixed it'll be a nice orangish color

4. Now it's time to add the dal. By this time it should have been soaking for around 5 minutes at least. This type of dal doesn't require a long time to soak. Add the dal and the water it was soaking in to the pressure cooker.

5. Turn the stove on high and let this cook until your pressure cooker gives you one good, long whistle. Then turn the heat to medium-low and let this cook for about 12 minutes more. After 12 minutes, turn the heat off and be careful not to open your pressure cooker until all the built up steam is gone.

6. When it's finished cooking it will probably look dry and messed up like this . . .

Not to worry! This is normal. Just take a wisk and stir it really good to mush up the dal. Some recipes don't mash it this much, but I prefer it this way!  Usually I need to add a little more water at this point. You don't want it to by like a soup, not even close, but it shouldn't be super thick either.

It made be hard to tell in these photos. The one on the left is just right after I wisked it, and the one on the right is after I added water. Not too much of a difference!

Now, we're almost done, but not quite yet. The last thing we have to do is temper the dal. 

7. Heat the last 1 tbps of oil in a small pan. Once it's hot add curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to pop, immediately add it to the dal and give it a good stir. Now is the time to do a taste test. Personally I like mine a little more on the salty side, but add yours according to your taste!

*note* If you don't have a small pan like I do, that's alright, just use a small skillet if that's all you have. 

Viola! There you have it, yummy moong dal. This goes great with any sabzi (stay tuned, I'll be posted recipe's as to what these are!) and roti, or you can simply eat it with rice!

Make sure to refrigerate any leftovers. While in the fridge it will thicken a lot. To reheat, simply add a little water and microwave for a minute or two. Continue to add water until it's back to your preferred consistency.