BHAJA MOONGER DAL

(MOONG BEAN DAL WITH GREEN PEAS)

There’s an old Bengali saying that half the pleasure of eating is in inhaling the aroma of food. This is absolutely true of this dish, where the light roasting of the golden moong dal releases a heavenly nutty aroma.

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 persons

200 gm moong dal (moong bean lentils)

1 gm whole cumin seeds

7 gm ginger paste

10 gm coconut chopped

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

25 gm ghee (clarified butter)

2 gm roasted cumin powder

4 pinches garam masala powder

2–3 green chillies; slit

20 gm green peas

50 ml mustard oil

Sugar to taste

Salt to taste

1.

Pick and wash the dal under running water. Drain well.

2.

Add the dal in a pan and dry roast till it turns golden brown.

3.

Add 4 litres of water turn on to medium flame, cook the dal till done. Remove and set aside.

4.

In a separate pan, heat mustard oil and temper with whole jeera.

5.

As it splutters, add ginger paste, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes and add the dal.

6.

Adjust seasoning. Add ghee, green peas and slit green chillies. Mix well.

7.

Sauté the chopped coconut in a separate pan and add to the dal.

8.

Serve steaming hot.