Moonger dal (Yellow Lentils soup)

Moonger dal is one of the staple lentils cooked in the Bengali homes. Boiled Moong dal is very bland but believe me when you tamper it with flavorful spices and ghee (clarified butter) it tastes like heaven. Feeling sick? or having digestion related issues? Try this dal. I consider this one of my comfort foods and this goes really well with some steamed rice, Alu Kopir Chochori (Potatoes with Cauliflower) or Alu Posto (Potatoes with Poppy seeds). This version of the dal is never spicy so don’t add any chilies in this. This is good for the kids as well, sweet and light. Try this flavorful dal tonight.

Ingredients:

• Moong dal – ½ cup 
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon
• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Cinnamon - 1 thin stick
• Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 2 tablespoons, melted
• Hing (Asafoetida) – ¼ teaspoon
• Cloves - 2-3
• Green Cardamoms - 2-3
• Bay leaf - 1

Let’s prep:

• Heat a skillet or wok on medium high heat.
• Add the dry moong dal in it and dry roast it.
• Keep roasting the dal till the color changes to reddish yellow.
• Turn off the heat and add a cup of water in it.

Let’s cook the dal:

• Add the dal in the pressure cooker along with the Salt, Turmeric powder, Sugar and Oil. 
• Add 3 cups of water in it and mix well.
• Close the cooker and put it on medium heat. Make sure you put the whistle and rubber on the lid and close it properly.
• When the cooker whistles for 3-4 times, turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Once the pressure drops and the lid opens, start the tempering process.

How to temper the dal:

• Heat a wok over high heat.
• Add the Ghee, Hing, Cloves, Cinnamon, Green Cardamoms and Bay leaf in it.
• Once you get the aroma of the spices, lower the heat and carefully add the dal in it.
• Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Make sure the consistency is not too thick. If it is, add a cup of lukewarm water and adjust the Salt.
• Turn off the heat and serve the dal hot with Steamed Rice, Alu Posto (Potatoes with Poppy seeds) or Begun or Kopi Bhaja (Eggplant or Cauliflower fry).

Note: 

• If you want to wash the dal first, make sure to give it enough time to dry up completely so that you can dry roast the dal. Do not pressure cook straight away, it will become slimy and taste completely different.
• You can find the Moong dal along with all the spices and ghee at your local Indian store.

Recommended Reading:

• Panch Bhaja (Crispy Deep Fried Vegetables)
• Korola Peyaj (Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Onion)
• Chaler Payesh (Bengali style Rice Pudding)
• Urad Dal Bengali Style (Biulir dal/ White Lentils Soup)
• Alu Posto (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Poppy Seeds)
• Sweet Masoor Dal (Red Lentils Bengali style)
• Kopi Alur Chochchori (Bengali recipe: Stir fried Cauliflower with Potatoes)
• Make Homemade Ghee from Spoiled Cream
• Arhar Dal (Toor Dal or Split Yellow Pigeon Peas Soup)
• Moong Dal ka Halwa (Indian Yellow Lentils Dessert)
• Cholar Dal (Bengali recipe: Chana Dal/ Split Bengal gram)
• Kacha Aamer Ombol (Bengali chutney with Unripe Mango)
• Shorshe Diye Bata Mach (Bengali recipe: Fish in Mustard Gravy)
• Beet er Torkari (Stir Fried Beetroot with Garlic)
• My Non-Traditional Sukhto (Bengali recipe: Mixed Vegetables)
• Mixed Dal with Cilantro (Arhar-Masoor Dal with Dhania garnish)
• Bengali Tomato Chatni (chutney) With Dried Fruits