Indian – Pulses and legumes – Recipes for the regular homecook

One Pot Yellow Moong Dal

Try out this 30-minute yellow moong dal recipe and never go hungry again! I have been making this dal for years now, and it is a regular in my kitchen. Super simple and loved equally by all, this vegan dal is a crowd pleaser. Make this along with some rice and potato fry and you have a winning combo! I love cooking with yellow moong dal since it takes no time to get ready.

The key differentiator here is the panchphoran. For those new to this term, panchphoran is a Bengali five spice mix which is easily available in any Indian grocery store. You can make your own by mixing equal portions of the following whole spices – fennel seeds (saunf), mustard seeds (rai), fenugreek seeds (methi), cumin seeds (jeera) and nigella seeds (kalonji).

The ingredients in this vegan yellow dal are minimal, but the results are absolutely amazing. A hearty and comforting dal recipe ready to go in minutes. Here’s the recipe:

Preparation time – 10 minutes

Cook time – 30 minutes

Serves – 3-4 people

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

200 g yellow moong dal
2 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp panchphoran
1 dried red chili
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
500 ml of water
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt to taste [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Thoroughly wash the yellow moong dal. Soak it in water for ten to fifteen minutes. This will help cook them faster and also get rid of preservatives or color if any. Set it aside once done.
Heat mustard oil in a pressure cooker. Allow the heat to release smoke and turn into a pale yellow color.
Add the dried red chili, followed by the panchphoran and garlic and stir for about five seconds. Do not burn.
Finely chop the tomatoes and add to this mixture. Stir for a minute till onions soften.
Once the onions soften, add the washed yellow moong dal into the pressure cooker. Stir well.
Season with salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Stir well.
Pour in the water and give it one last stir.
Pressure cook the dal for two whistles and allow it to cool.
Remove lid once al the pressure comes out of the cooker. Serve hot with boiled rice. [/directions]

I hope you do try this vegan yellow moong dal for yourself. I promise it will not disappoint.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me with a comment or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook.

Happy cooking!

Easy Dal Makhani | With Video

Who doesn’t like a nice, steaming bowl of dal makhani? It is one of the most popular dal recipes of north India and so for a reason. Rich, creamy and utterly delicious, there is no reason to not make this dal makhani recipe at home.

This dal makhani is a regular at my house. While the traditional and authentic dal makhani (or dal Bukhara) recipe requires slow cooking for hours and an addition of a lot of heavy elements to it, this version is NOT that. This rendition is lighter, very simple and involves just 30 minutes of simmering.

Dal makhani literally translates to dal being cooked in makkhan or butter. Again, this recipe is very light on butter and cream. It is not as heavy as a restaurant version, but what I can say with all my confidence is that it is DELICIOUS! I get messages from so many of you asking for tasty and easy recipes. Well, there you go! Make dal makhani without getting intimidated by it and make it like a pro!

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Cook time – 40 minutes

Serves – 4 people

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

200 g black lentils
50 g red kidney beans
500 ml of water
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 large tomatoes, pureed in a blender
2 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
3 tbsp fresh cream
50 g butter
A handful of Kasuri methi
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Thoroughly wash the black lentils and red kidney beans. Soak it overnight in water.
Drain the lentils and keep aside the next morning.
In a pressure cooker, put the black lentils and kidney beans. Add one tablespoon salt and water. Mix well. Let this cook for six to seven whistles. Set aside.
Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add the chopped onions. Saute till onions become translucent and start browning.
Once the onions are cooked, add the fresh ginger-garlic paste. Stir till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears.
Add the tomato puree and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes. The water from the puree needs to dry up completely and stir till oil starts to release from the paste.
Do not let this burn, cook in medium flame. Add warm water whenever necessary to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the kadhai.
Season with turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Mix well.
Pour in the pressure-cooked dal into this gravy and mix till it all comes together. Check salt and add if required.
Bring the dal to a boil and once it gets thick, add the cream and mix well.
Add the butter after the cream and mix well.
Next, add a handful of dried fenugreek leaves or Kasuri methi and give the dal one last stir before you let it simmer.
Cover and let the dal simmer in low heat for another 30 minutes.
Remove lid and season the dal with garam masala.
Pat a spoonful of ghee on top and enjoy hot with parathas or plain rice. [/directions]

I hope you do try this simple and mouth-watering dal makhani for yourself. You have to ensure that the lentils are soaked in water for at least six hours. And the simmering, in the end, is also required to get a thick and delicious consistency. A little bit of patience and you can have a wonderfully thick gravy in about an hour.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me with a comment or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook.

Happy cooking!

Green Moong Dal

Indian dals are so healthy and comforting. And such a wide variety to choose from! Every part of the country has its own plethora of dal versions. Cannot imagine an Indian thali without a dal, right?

This green moong dal is my absolute favorite since childhood. We eat a lot of green moong dal back in Assam, especially in its raw form. It is actually one of the main elements in our prasad that we offer during our pujas. Apart from this fun fact, I also know that green moong or the mung bean is very healthy!

Mung beans are packed with healthy nutrients with high antioxidant levels. It is rich in potassium, magnesium and loaded with fiber. I remember Ma telling me about the health benefits of mung beans since I was a kid. So I ensure I consume this powerful legume every once in a while.

This recipe is fairly simple and straightforward. With just a handful of fresh ingredients, you can make this delicious green moong dal in no time. The only important thing to consider here is that unlike most days, green moong dal has to be soaked overnight before cooking. Now let’s take a look at the recipe.

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Cook time – 60 minutes

Serves – 4 people

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

400 g green moong dal/mung beans, soaked overnight
500 ml water
30 g ginger, cut in thin slices
Salt to taste
1 green chili
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Wash the green moong dal and soak it overnight in water.
Drain and rest the dal.
In a pressure cooker, add the green moong dal, one green chili, the ginger slices, salt, and water. Mix well. Let this cook for six to seven whistles. Set aside.
Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add the chopped onions. Saute till onions become translucent and start browning.
Once the onions are cooked, add the fresh ginger-garlic paste. Stir till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears.
Add the tomatoes and stir till they melt and assimilate well with the onions.
Wait for the onions to cook and melt completely. If it sticks to the base of the kadhai, add little hot water. Do not burn.
Season with turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and cumin powder. Mix well.
Pour in the pressure-cooked dal into this gravy and mix till it all comes together. Check salt and add if required.
Bring the dal to a boil till you reach your desired consistency.
Garnish with fresh garam masala and give it one last stir.
Pat a dollop of ghee on top and enjoy hot with parathas or plain rice. [/directions]

I hope you do try this simple, mouth-watering, and super healthy green moong dal recipe. It is a perfect option for a homely meal filled with health and happiness.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me with a comment or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook.

Happy cooking!

Dahi Kala Chana Curry | Veg Recipes

Time is such a thing. Things which you thought would never change or you could alter about yourself end up being history. If I have to substantiate this with an example, I would use one which is food related. As a child or even during my teenage years, I had always detested certain kinds of food. But the passage of time and experience has made me value those very same things, which I enjoy now.

Kala chana (black chickpeas) is such an example. I have never really enjoyed Kala chana in a curry. The maximum I have gone is eaten it raw in a salad or a prasad. But now, I cannot get enough of it. It is one of my favorite kind of sprouts. Also because with time I have become wiser in terms of understanding what food is good for me, and how it can be made tasty.

You probably have seen a lot of Kala chana recipes on the internet. But trust me this one is different. The game changer is the use of curd. And oh, the results are absolutely stunning.

I invented this recipe a few years ago when I didn’t have anything else but some Kala chana at home. I was perhaps too broke to order in. As they rightly say, necessity is the mother of invention. And this splendid recipe emerged out of experimentation in the kitchen.

I usually enjoy Kala chana in its raw form. Assamese people have soaked Kala chana along with soaked moong dal as prasad. So I’ve been used to eating in that form since my childhood. I also enjoy it in my salads in its uncooked form.

But this dahi Kala chana curry makes me go weak in my knees. Made with ginger, garlic, garam masala, curd, tomatoes and lots of onions, I have been loving this sweet, spicy and tangy curry for a few years now. Adding that pinch of salt while boiling the chana in the pressure cooker makes a lot of difference.

The spices and condiments used in this are very basic and mostly lying around at home. The one big difference that makes this curry truly tasty is fresh garam masala. I make my own by dry roasting equal amounts of cardamom, cinnamon, and clove together. And the biggest secret to any good pulse curry is to add salt while boiling. The salt gets infused into every grain and makes a huge difference.

Before boiling the Kala chana, I soaked it in water overnight. Kala chana takes some time to soften so make sure you leave it in water for eight to twelve hours.

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Cook time – 60 minutes

Serves – 2-3 people

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

100 g Kala Chana
2 tbsp mustard oil
2 medium onions, ground to a paste
3 medium tomatoes, ground to a paste
1 tsp sugar
20 g fresh ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
50 g thick curd
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste [/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

Soak the Kala chana in water overnight. Boil it with 1 tsp salt in a pressure cooker with about 500 ml water.
In a kadhai, heat some mustard oil. Once it starts smoking and acquires a pale yellow color add the onion paste.
Cook the onions gently till its raw aroma disappears. Add the ginger garlic paste to it.
For a sweet flavor, add some sugar. This will also give a beautiful caramelized color to the gravy.
Once the raw aroma of the onions and ginger and garlic disappears, add the tomato paste. Saute this till all the water from the tomato reduces and a thick paste gets formed. This step is absolutely crucial otherwise you will have a curry with raw tomato smell.
Season with salt, cumin powder (jeera), black pepper powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Mix well till the spices completely assimilate with the rest of the ingredients in the masala.
Now add the boiled Kala chana and water to this cooked masala paste. Stir well and boil it in high heat till you get your desired consistency.
Beat the curd well in a bowl and add it to the gravy. Give it a good stir. Make sure you use good quality, thick and fresh curd for this.
Just before you take it off the stove, add the garam masala and give it one last stir.
Serve with roti, rice or pulao with onions and pickle. [/directions]

Related recipe – Dhaba Style Chana Dal

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Happy cooking!

Dhaba Style Chana Dal | Indian Food | Dinner Recipes | Veg Food | Slurrp

Split chickpeas or Chana is a mouth-watering Indian pulse. It is cooked in different Indian states in different ways. Being an Assamese, I am going to share this wonderful chana dal recipe known as “butor dali” back home. It is made on special occasions or when guests would drop by unannounced. It is usually had with luchis. But I love mine with plain white rice or some flaky parathas.

I have added a twist to it by adding a few extra ingredients. Hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS

100 gm spilt chickpeas, soaked in water for 2-3 hours

30 gm ginger

5-6 garlic cloves

1 green chili

A handful of coriander leaves

3 tbsp refined oil

1 bay leaf

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tomato, chopped

50 gms desiccated coconut

100 gm curd

Salt to taste

PROCEDURE

Boil the soaked chana dal in a pressure cooker with water and salt for about 15-20 minutes till it is cooked. Keep it aside.
Make a paste out of ginger, garlic, chili and coriander leaves.
In a pan, heat oil. Add the bay leaf followed by the onions. Fry for about a minute.
Add some sugar and fry for another ten seconds.
Add the green paste and fry for about another minute.
Season with the spices – turmeric, cumin and black pepper powder. Fry all of this till the raw aroma disappears.
Throw in the chopped tomato and fry it till it melts and comes together with the rest of the ingredients.
Once done, add the coconut, followed by the curd. Stir for about a minute or two. Ensure all of this comes together and gets cooked.
Once you feel the masala is ready, add the boiled chana dal to this straight from the pressure cooker.
Now let this come to a boil. Cover and cook for 20 minutes till you get the desired consistency.
Serve hot with parathas or luchis.

https://youtu.be/-Xq6lMMdZZM

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