Meera Sodha’s Moong Dal
Meera Sodha's delicious moong dal recipe is a classic Indian comfort food dish that's easy to make, with warm, earthy flavours and budget-friendly ingredients.
From the book
Fresh India: 130 Quick, Easy and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
The go-to guide for vegetarian Indian cooking
130 stunning recipes with a fresh and light feel
Beautiful puddings with Indian-inspired flavours
Introduction
This is an unassuming but gorgeous dal and one of my favourite lentil dishes of all time. A gentle and soothing marriage of soft lentils and earthy cumin and chillies, tempered by butter, it’s old-fashioned home cooking at its best: nourishing, cheap to make and comforting.
Ingredients
| 300g | moong dal |
| 4 tbsp | ghee or unsalted butter |
| 1½ tsp | cumin seeds |
| 3 | banana shallots, finely sliced |
| 2 | green finger chillies, very thinly sliced |
| 5 | cloves of garlic, crushed |
| ½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 tsp | garam masala |
| 1½ tsp | salt (or to taste) |
Method
Wash the dal until the water runs clear, then drain, place in a deep saucepan and cover with 1½ litres of water. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, put the ghee or butter into a frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the cumin seeds and shallots. Cook for around 5 minutes, then add the green chillies and garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the shallots start to brown, then add the turmeric and garam masala.
Tip into the dal and stir, then add the salt. You might need to add a little extra hot water to make the dal a bit thinner. Check the seasoning, and serve with plain basmati rice or naan bread, together with some pickle and yoghurt.
