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
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.