Dal, or curried lentils form an integral part of the main Indian meal. They are a staple, along with a subzi (curried vegetables), rice and/or roti. However, even a very basic dal recipe differs from household to household. Also, a dal may not always be a vegetarian preparation. For instance, the Kashmiri chana dal gosht lentil recipe is a rich and wonderful amalgamation of red meat and lentils. Essentially, there are as many dal preparations in India as there are states, or probably even more. And my recipe, of the green mung dal tadka, is a popular North Indian recipe. This is something that maa makes very often and we all love it! It is delicious, flavourful and packed with proteins.
What is a tadka?
Tadka translates to tempering. So, this creamy and flavourful dal, besides being cooked in spices, also gets a tempering of ghee laden cumin seeds and garlic, as a finishing touch. The distinctive fragrance of the ghee with the aromatics when added toward the end, is even more pronounced than it is when added earlier.
Dals
Dals are a wholesome food. They are high in protein, high in fibre (good for the digestive system), great for people suffering with high cholesterol – therefore good for the heart too. And for my recipe, I have used moong beans with the skin. This means even more fibre! It really would be amazing if we could include these wonder foods in our regular diet. And, if you are looking for a way to start or need a new, easy, tasty dal recipe then look no further! Here I have used a combination of green mung beans (sabut mung dal) and chana dal (Bengal gram) for my dal tadka recipe. The chana dal is more to give the dal a body.
Also see,
Khatta moong – Green gram buttermilk curry
The recipe of my green mung dal tadka is given below and I hope that you will like it and make it too. It is after all, a very quick and easy recipe. This prep can be enjoyed with hot, buttered rotis or naan, as well with a bowl of steamed rice. In fact, this can be devoured as a soup too! With some salad on the side, you are set for a hearty lunch/dinner! Also this lentil curry is a great recipe for your weeknight dinner. So, definitely a keeper of a recipe this one!
If you do try my recipe, it’ll mean a lot to me if you could rate it below and/or drop a line with your feedback. You can also share your pictures with me, over on Instagram. I’d be thrilled to see how this dal recipe turned out for you.
Eat hearty!
Green mung beans dal tadka
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup green mung beans (sabut moong dal)
- 1/2 cup chana dal
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 small tomato finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 3 fresh green chillies finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 dried red chilli
- 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter or ghee butter)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the pulses in water throughly and soak them in water overnight. Drain the water the next day and set the bloomed pulses aside
- Heat a pressure cooker, or a pan, with 2 tablepoons of the ghee. Once hot, add the onions and fry until they turn pink and soft
- Add the ginger, chillies and half of the chopped garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes
- Next, add the diced tomato and when it softens, add all powdered spices along with the salt, except the kasuri methi
- Fry the spices on a low flame for a minute and then add the pulses
- Stir well with the spice mix and then add 2 cups of water. Mix again, cover and pressure cook until done. If using a pan, cover and cook until the dals soften
- Once the pressure in the cooker settles, open and check for the consistency of the dal - it should not be runny
- If so, then simmer, without the lid on, until you achieve a semi thick consistency
- Heat a separate small pan and heat the remaining ghee. When hot, add the cumin seeds
- Once they crackle, add the chopped garlic, the chopped tomato and the dried chilis. When the garlic gets some colour on it, pour the tempered ghee over the cooked dal
- Finally add the kasuri methi and mix
- Garnish the green mung dal tadka with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ghee can also be substituted with butter
- The dried red chilli used for tempering is low on heat and high on colour - the Kashmiri dried chilli
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
