Moong Dal (Green Gram) Tadka

Moong Dal (in Hindi) is a bean variety. It is known as ‘Pachai Payaru’ in Tamil and as ‘Green Gram’ in English.Green gram is small green oval shaped gram and can be cooked after soaking or without soaking. You can make sprouts easily in this. Along with proteins and minerals, it contains adequate dietary fiber too. It is consumed as whole and in split form too. In south India, split green gram is used more in Poriyals and Kootu.

Here I have prepared a simple Moong Dal Tadka with whole moong. (Seasoning is known as ‘Tadka’ in Hindi).

Serves: 6 to 8

Cooking time: 40 minutes approximately

Ingredients

• Moong Dal (Green Gram) whole – 2 cups
• Tomato – 2 no
• Onion – 1 no
• Green chilli – 2 no
• Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves
• Ginger chopped – 1 table spoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tea spoon
• Curry leaves and coriander leaves – few
• Salt – as per taste
• For seasoning
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tea spoon
  • Coriander powder – 2 tea spoon
  • Garam masala powder – ½ tea spoon
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Oil – 1 table spoon

Method

Step 1

• Chop onion, tomato, green chilli, garlic, ginger and few curry leaves.
• Wash and put green gram in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water; add turmeric powder, pinch of salt, few drops (4 to 5) of oil and chopped items except onion; pressure cook and after a whistle keep in low flame for 20 minutes.
• Allow the pressure cooker to cool down; open, mash the dal with a ladle partially.

Step 2

• In another pan do the seasoning with cumin seeds, curry leaves; add chopped onion, fry till it becomes golden colour, then add all dry masala, salt and fry for few seconds.

• Add 1 cup water, bring to boil, add mashed green gram; mix well, bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Moong dal tadka is ready.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice or Chapatti.

Tips

• Wash and cook green gram immediately, no need for soaking.

This post is part of ‘My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) – Fifteenth Helping’ organised by Monsoon Spice and as per My Legume Love Affair – The Host Line Up by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook.