Quick and easy Whole Moong Dal

My son was having saxophone lessons today.  His instructor, also his namesake, comes home for the lessons.  The instructor is a great guy, of Indian origin, and a bachelor.  Invariably, when he comes home, it is after school and I am busy making dinner.  He always comments on the wonderful (I hope) smells from my kitchen and, if I have everything ready, I send some food home with him.

Since it is summer, and I am home, I planned to start working on dinner a bit early, so that it will be ready before the saxophone lessons.

Our dinner today was going to be whole moong dal and ovenroasted cauliflower with rotis and rice.

Aaahhhh! best laid plans…

We had a disastrous start to our morning – clogged drains, with my kitchen sink backing up  - requiring emergency plumbing services.  So it completely slipped my mind to soak the dal ahead of time.

I always thought that you had to soak whole moong before you can use it in a recipe - until I read this recipe on my friend Manisha’sblog.   Well, I decided to go ahead with the moong dal to see how it turned out.  It cooked perfectly.

Here is what you need:

• 1 cup whole moong dal
• 2 roma tomatoes or 1 regular tomato, chopped
• 1” piece ginger, slivered
• 2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp hing
• 3 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½” piece ginger, slivered
• 1 tsp.  chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. coriander powder
• few curry leaves
• few sprigs cilantro, chopped
• juice of ½ lemon

Here is how I make it:

1. Wash and rinse the moong dal.  Place it in a pressure cooker. 
2. Add enough water, tomatoes, green chilies, salt, turmeric, and hing.  Cover and cook on high heat till the first whistle blows.  Turn heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes.  Let the pressure release on it’s own.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan.  Add cumin seeds
4. When cumin seeds change color, add onions, garlic, and ginger.
5. Sauté till the onions look done.  Add curry leaves and sauté for a minute or so.  Turn off the heat
6. Sprinkle the chili, cumin and coriander powders on the dal.
7. Blend in the onion mixture.  Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice.

Serve with jeera rice or rotis.