Easy Weeknight Moong dal
When I was a kid, my mom cooked a lot. For her, cooking was love. I remember coming home from school and always finding her cooking in the kitchen. And with that she would share not only her food, but our culture. So much of Indian cooking is about sharing culture through food. Dals are at the heart of this idea. It is easy to make a big pot of warm bubbling dal and share with family and friends. Dal is versatile, so you can have it on its own, like a thick and hearty soup or with rice or roti. Dals are creamy, delicious and there are so many to try.
Moong dal is a wonderful Indian comfort food. Its a delicious, vegetarian (and vegan) dish that can comes together in 30 minutes. I love a bowl of it with rice or roti when I want something simple, yummy and quick. On cold and rainy days, my mom would put a pot of dal on. The house would be filled with the great aroma of curry leaves and soon dinner was ready. It's something I make all the time now when its late or we just want something quick and delicious.
Indian lentils are incredibly versatile. They are a staple of Indian households and there are so many varieties that are used frequently in Indian cooking. Moong dal is the split version of green gram. It cooks quickly and others take longer and highlight different flavors.
Dal refers to the split version of lentils. I guess I'd never really thought about it, and have been casually referring to dal and lentils interchangeably for years, but there is a difference.
Moong dal is made by simmering the dal until soft and creamy with tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and turmeric. Adding all the extra ingredients gives the dal more flavor instead of simmering it alone. And all the great flavors are infused into the final dish..
After the dal is cooked, a bhagar is added to give it another layer of flavor. Bhagar or tempering brings out the natural flavors. the spices are added to hot oil for a quick minute or less. You often do this with whole spices as ground spices burn quickly. But if you watch your spices and do it over medium heat, it makes all the difference in your final dish. Make some on a weeknight for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.
Make some on a weeknight for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.
Weeknight Moong Dal
This is an easy and quick dal that makes a great weeknight dinner. Its creamy and rich with just a few spices that make all the difference.
Makes 4 servings
For the dal
1 cup moong dal
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilis, optional
6 cloves garlic
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
For the bhagar
4 tablespoons oil
4 stems curry leaves
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
2 dried red chilis, broken into pieces
In a medium saucepan, add the moong dal, onion, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, salt and turmeric. I sometimes leave to the green chilis and substitute red chili flakes, which gives the dish a little bit of more subtle heat. Add 3 cups of water.
Bring the dal to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes uncovered. It should have a nice bubbly simmer to it. The dal will be cooked and soft, you don't want it to cook it too long otherwise you'll end up with a big mush. I love to check it with the back of a spoon - it should squish easily. You also don't want it completely firm. And definitely not crunchy! If you like your dal a little more creamy then you can simmer it for a few minutes longer.
Mash the garlic cloves so they are not chunky. This way you don't get a big mouthful of each of these in your final dish.
Make the bhagar
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. You want it to be hot but not smoking. Add red chilies and curry leaves and saute 30 seconds. Be super careful here as the curry leaves can really sputter. The curry leaves will turn a bright green and get really crispy. Quickly add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or so until they are soft and translucent.
When the onions are done, add the dal to the medium saucepan with the bhagar. If you have a kitchen exhaust, this is a great time to use it as this can get a little smoky. I usually pour the dal in and quickly pop the lid on the saucepan so all the flavors can really infuse the dal. This can be pretty smoky and again with a lot of sputtering.
Simmer 5 to 10 minutes and serve warm with rice or roti. Or enjoy on its own!
Curry leaves can be found in Indian or Asian grocery stores.