Lentils are a part of the daily meal routine in India. For vegetarians, lentils make for a protein and fiber rich diet. Lentils are also loaded with carbohydrates and essential minerals and vitamins.
Indian cuisine brims with a variety of lentils and each lentil has many varieties within itself. One can find red lentils, yellow lentils, green lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, and many more in the kitchen cabinets.
Moong Dal lentil is popular for its rich and creamy taste. This variety of lentil comes as Green Moong Dal whole, Green Moong Dal split, and Yellow Moong Dal.
While experts always recommend eating the whole lentils, one can also try split Dals for a variety in cuisine. The lentil of interest today is Green Moong Dal split, also called Moong Dal Chilka. One can churn out many recipes with Green Moong Dal split, the most common being the tadka curry, the recipe for which is given below. One can also soak and grind the dal to make pancakes or crêpes.
Recipe for Green Moong Dal split tadka:
This recipe serves four people.
Ingredients:
- Green Moong Dal split- 1 Cup
- Ghee- 2 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds- 2 tablespoons
- Hing- 1 pinch
- Red chillies (dried)- 2
- Ginger, finely chopped- ½ inch
- Garlic (thinly sliced)- 2 cloves
- Chopped Green chilli- 1
- Chopped Onion- 1
- Chopped Tomato- 1
- Coriander powder- 1 tablespoons
- Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
- Salt- as per taste
- Lemon juice
- Chopped coriander or Dried mint leaves for garnishing
Method
- Wash the lentil well and soak for four hours.
- Add turmeric, salt, 3 cups of water to lentils and pressure cook till four whistles. Let the steam escape naturally.
- In a thick bottomed pan, heat ghee and add cumin seeds, hing, garlic, ginger, dried red chilies, and green chili. Add onions and cook till they turn golden.
- Add tomatoes and cook with other spices till this masala gets cooked.
- Add this cooked masala to the pressure-cooked lentils. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes till all the masala mixes well with the lentil.
- Garnish with chopped coriander or dried mint leaves and add lime juice before serving with steamed rice or naan.
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