Pui Shak Diye Bhaja Muger Dal (Roasted Moong Dal cooked with Malabar Spinach - Bong style)

 

           This is a traditional Bengali delicacy of roasted Moong Dal which is commonly prepared in almost every Bengali household. It is sometimes combined with any veggie or greens for a wholesome and nutritious meal. 

         In this recipe I combined it with Pui Shak (Malabar Spinach) to prepare this yummy lentil curry. I tempered with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds and radhuni (wild celery seeds). This gives this dal a very good flavor. Red chili powder is optional. Traditionally. green chilies are used. It is typically relished with hot steamed rice. You can adjust the quantity of water as preferred. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this healthy dish.

• 1/3 cup moong dal (split green gram), dry roasted and soaked for an hour
• 2 bunches Pui shak (Malabar spinach), chopped 
• 1 cup tender twigs, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. radhuni (wild celery seeds)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder to garnish

          Boil the dal and the tender twigs of the Pui shak in 1 cup water for 4-5 whistles. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds and radhuni. Sauté for a few seconds.

         Add the onion and sauté till light brown. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates.

          Now add the chopped Pui shak and 1/4 cup water. Mix well and cook, covered till it turns soft.

         Add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup water and green chilies. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

         when done, add ghee and the dry roasted cumin powder. Give it a stir and serve hot with steamed rice or chapattis.

Boil the dal & the tender twigs of the Pui shak in 1 cup water for 4-5 whistles. 

Heat oil in a pan & temper with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds & radhuni. Sauté for a few seconds.

                     Add the onion & sauté till light brown. 

Then add the ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates.

                       Now add the chopped Pui shak 

               and 1/4 cup water. Mix well & cook, covered till it turns soft.

                         Add the boiled dal,

                 1/2 cup water & green chilies. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

                   When done, add ghee & the dry roasted cumin powder. 

                Give it a stir & serve hot with steamed rice or chapattis.

Lemony Masoor & Moong Dal (Red Lentil & Split Green Gram Lentil Fry - Bong Style)

 

            This is my take on the traditional Bong style Masoor Dal recipe, but with a twist. I combined it with moong dal and added few kaffir lime leaves for a lemony flavor. I gave a tempering of dry red chili, bay leaf, panch phoron and ginger in mustard oil for an authentic touch. 

           Serve it with hot steamed rice and some aloo bhaja (potato fry) as an accompaniment. A dash of lime will do wonders to this dal. It can also be served with chapattis. In that case, keep the consistency slightly thick. This recipe is nutritious as it contains lot of proteins and there is minimum use of spices. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this comfort dish.

  

• 1/4 cup masoor dal (red lentil)
• 1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram), dry roasted
• 1-2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (equal quantities of fennel, cumin, fenugreek, mustard & kalonji (onion seeds)
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 5-6 kafir lime leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped (opt)

          Pressure cook the masoor, dal, moong dal and the kaffir lime leaves in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. Discard the lime leaves and give it a whisk. Keep aside. 

          Heat mustard oil in a pan. Temper with dry red chili. bay leaf and panch phoron. 

          After it stops spluttering, add the ginger and stir fry till light brown. 

          Now add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup extra water (opt), turmeric powder, salt to taste and green chilies. 

         Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 4-5 minutes on a low flame. 

          When done, switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves (opt).

          Serve with either hot steamed rice or as a side dish with Chapatti.  

Pressure cook the masoor, dal, moong dal & the kaffir lime leaves in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 4-5 whistles. Discard the lime leaves & give it a whisk. Keep aside. 

Heat mustard oil in a pan. Temper with dry red chili. bay leaf & panch phoron. 

            After it stops spluttering, add the ginger & stir fry till light brown. 

Now add the boiled dal, 1/2 cup extra water (opt), turmeric powder, salt to taste and green chilies. 

Bring it to a boil & then simmer for 4-5 minutes on a low flame. When done, switch off the flame & garnish with chopped coriander leaves (opt).

 Serve with either hot steamed rice or as a side dish with Chapatti.  

Moong Dal Fry (Green Gram Lentil Curry)

 

          Just a simple moong dal fry with hot steamed rice will lift up your spirits. There is nothing like having it with some pickle or papad as accompaniment. It definitely is a humble and an earthy meal, complete with all the nutritional benefits as lentils contain fibre and proteins. 

          This dal can be cooked in many ways. You can enjoy it as a dry preparation with Indian bread, in a gravy like consistency with rice or it can be made into a simple soup. Choice is yours. 

          It is a very common dal made in every household in the Northern parts of Punjab. This delicious Moong Dal Fry is also very popular in restaurants worldwide. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing dal fry.

• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. coriander & mint leaves, chopped

            Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it a whisk and keep aside. 

            Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds, dry red chili and asafoetida. Allow it to splutter.

            Then add the onion, ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté till light brown. 

            Add the boiled dal and green chilies. Simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

            Garnish with lime juice, coriander and mint leaves. Serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, naan, tandoori roti or chapatti.

      Pressure cook the dal in 1 & 1/2 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Give it

      a whisk and keep aside. 

        Heat oil in & temper with cumin seeds, dry red chilies & asafoetida. 

        Add onion, ginger, garlic, salt & turmeric powder. Sauté till light brown. 

                  Add boiled dal & green chilies. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

                     Garnish with lime juice, coriander and mint leaves.

         Serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, naan, tandoori roti or chapatti.

Golden Egg Dal - Dhaba style

 

          This is an amazing and a rustic dhaba style lentil fry that is prepared with two types of lentils - masoor dal (red lentil) and moong dal (split green gram). It is also a very popular North Indian recipe, served in many restaurants. In this recipe, the cooked dal is tempered with some boiled egg slices. This takes this comforting dish to a next level. It is a very simple recipe and is best relished with steamed rice, jeera rice, naan, tandoori roti, kulcha or chapatti. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this comfort dish. 

• 1/2 cup masoor dal (red lentil)
• 1/2 cup split moong dal (green gram), soaked for an hour
• 3 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1" ginger, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 green chilies, slit into half
• 2 eggs, boiled & sliced
• 1/2 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the soaked lentils along with salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic in 3 cups water for 5-6 whistles. 

          When the pressure is released, add pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Give it a stir and simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          For the tempering - Heat butter and oil in a pan. Stir fry the ginger, garlic and green chilies till they are slightly browned. 

          Now add the sliced eggs and sauté them as well for a minute. Switch off the flame and add the Kashmiri red chili powder. Give it a stir.

          Pour this tempering over the prepared dal. Mix gently and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

          Serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, naan, tandoori roti, kulcha or chapatti.  

         

                                  Soak both the lentils for an hour. 

                         Pressure cook the soaked lentils with salt, turmeric powder, red chili

                         powder, onion, tomato, ginger & garlic in 3 cups water for 5-6 whistles. 

                    Add pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder & garam masala 

                    powder. Give it a stir & simmer on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

                        Heat butter and oil in a pan. Stir fry the ginger, garlic and green chilies

                        till they are slightly browned.

                                  Add the sliced eggs and sauté them as well for a minute. 

                        Switch off the flame & add Kashmiri red chili powder. Give it a stir.

                          Pour this tempering over the prepared dal. Mix gently & garnish

                          with chopped coriander leaves. 

                    Serve with steamed rice, jeera rice, naan, tandoori roti, kulcha or chapatti.  

         

French Beans & Moong Dal Stir Fry (French Beans with Split Green Gram)

  

          This is a simple homemade style french Beans stir fry cooked with split moong dal (green gram lentil). I added some sambar powder to give a South Indian flavor. It is best relished as a side dish with hot steamed rice, paratha or chapatti, curd rice, sambar rice or rasam rice. 

          French Beans and the split green gram lentil have a fair amount of fibre and protein. So it is a perfect side dish for the young and old alike. Made into a roll / Frankie, it can be a great lunch box meal too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazingly healthy stir fry dish.

• 400 gms. Beans, chopped
• 1/4 cup split moong dal, dry roasted
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 whole dry chili, broken
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. sambar powder
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Boil the chopped French beans and the roasted moong dal in enough water till they are soft. Drain and keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the red chili and mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

          Add asafoetida, urad dal and Chana dal. Sauté till the dals changes color. Add the onion, ginger, curry leaves and garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

          Add the boiled French beans-moong dal, salt, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame. 

          When done, add lime juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice, curd rice, rasam rice, paratha, tandoori roti or chapatti. 

                        Heat oil & temper with red chili & mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.

                   Add asafoetida, urad dal & Chana dal. Sauté till the dals changes color. 

                         Add the onion, ginger, curry leaves & garlic. Sauté till light brown. 

                       Add the boiled French beans-moong dal, salt, turmeric powder and 

                       sambar powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame. 

           When done, add lime juice & coriander leaves.

                       Serve hot with steamed rice, curd rice, rasam rice, paratha, tandoori 

                       roti or chapatti.