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Classic Moong Dal Recipe

Classic Moong Dal

Once you have had good dal, you do not go back and this Classic Moong Dal Recipe is everything you could wish for and more. The flavors are intricate and laced together in a wonderful way. It is easy to make a lot of it at once, and you wouldn't know it but it is extremely healthy. It is packed with fiber, protein, and a list of vitamins and nutrients. Try this one out soon and you will love it forever.
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Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Servings 6 Servings

Equipment

  • 1 Immersion Blender (preferred) or regular blender

Ingredients
  

For the dal

  • 1 cup of split yellow mung lentils - You may find them named any combination of moong mung, yellow, and either lentils, beans, or daal.
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric - Adds some good flavor and also enhances the color.
  • 3/4 teaspoon of red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder - You can also use 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste or 1 teaspoon of minced ginger.
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • 1 diced Roma tomato
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon of garum masala
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

For the garnish:

  • 2 diced Roma tomatoes
  • ¼ diced white onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Start by soaking your cup of lentils in room temperature water for at least 30 minutes, but you may soak them all day.
  • Once you are ready to start cooking, drain the lentils but do not rinse them. Add them to a large pot on the stove on medium-high heat and cover them by 1-2 inches of water.
  • To the pot, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 3/4 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger powder (or one of the substitutions listed above), 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, and 1 diced roma tomato. Stir and allow it to reach a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, stir again, and cover. Stir as needed.
  • On a small pan on the stove on medium heat and add around 2 tablespoons of oil. Dice your 3-4 garlic cloves into small pieces, about the size of half a pea. Add them to the heated pan to start roasting. After about 1 minutes, add 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds. Stir periodically until the garlic starts to lightly brown and remove from heat.
  • Once your dal has been simmering for 20 minutes, you will turn the heat off and begin to blend. If you have an immersion blender, Place it in the center of the pot and blend until smooth. If the dal does not reach the blade section completely, you may add some water. If you do not have an immersion blender, add the dal to a regular blender, blend well until smooth, and add back to the pot.
  • Put the heat back onto medium and add in your roasted garlic along with the cumin seeds and oil. Add 1/2 tablespoon of garum masala. Stir, cover, and allow to simmer for anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour, stirring periodically. The longer it simmers, the more enhanced the flavor will be. If it simmers for a while, you may need to add in some water to reach the right consistency.
  • While your dal is simmering, prepare you garnish any other sides you are using. Dice 2 Roma tomatoes, ¼ of a white onion, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix together.
  • Once the daal is at the right consistency, add 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and stir.
    Serve with white basmati rice, garnish, and any other sides you'd like.
    Enjoy!

Notes

This pairs wonderfully with Hot Chicken Nuggets and some Ranch.