Green Moong Dal (Green Gram Curry)

Ingredients

main ingredients

• ½ cup moong beans (whole and with husks) – soaked in water for an hour or two hours or overnight
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tej patta medium-sized, (Indian bay leaf)
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ⅓ cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
• ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes or 1 medium to large tomato
• 1 to 2 green chillies or ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 medium garlic – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• 2.5 to 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• salt as required

For tempering

• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper

Steps

Preparation

1. Rinse the green moong a couple of times and soak in enough water for an hour. A couple of hours or overnight are also options; overnight soaking reduces the pressure-cooking time.
2. After 1 to 2 hours, drain away all the water and set the soaked mung beans aside.
3. Chop the onion, tomato and green chilies. Use a mortar-pestle to crush the ginger and garlic to a paste.

Making green moong dal

1. Over low heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker.
2. Add the tej patta and cumin seeds and fry until the cumin splutters.
3. Sauté the chopped onions over medium-low to medium heat until light golden.
4. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies and sauté a few seconds, until the raw ginger-garlic aroma disappears.
5. Put in the chopped tomato with turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
6. Stir and sauté over medium-low to medium heat until the tomato is soft and pulpy and oil releases at the sides.
7. Mix the soaked moong beans into the cooker.
8. Mix in 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt to taste thoroughly.
9. Cover and pressure-cook over medium to high heat for 10 to 12 whistles or 15 to 17 minutes, until the moong is thoroughly soft.
10. Open the lid only after the cooker's pressure falls naturally. Check the moong; if it still has a slight bite, add some water and pressure-cook for some more whistles.
11. Simmer the moong on the stovetop in the cooker for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring at intervals. Add water if the mixture appears dry.
12. Keep the dal from becoming watery. While it cooks, you may mash a few lentils with the back of a spoon.
13. Switch off when the dal reaches the consistency you want. Cover with any flat steel lid or steel plate.

Tempering for green gram curry (optional step)

1. For the optional tempering, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Splutter the cumin seeds first over low heat.
2. Turn the heat off before adding a pinch of asafoetida and the red chili powder or cayenne pepper. Stir together.
3. Stir the tempering into the dal and mix thoroughly.
4. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves as well.
5. Offer steamed rice or chapati with the green moong dal.
6. If desired, garnish the green gram curry with a few coriander leaves at serving.