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We make this simple dal weekly, served with chapati and alongside a cabbage or okra palya. My daughter requested that I write up this recipe so that she can refer to it when she moves out later this year. It is also one of her favourite meal combinations. We are in the process of learning how to make six easy meals that she can prepare herself. This dal is one of them.

If making chapati sounds overwhelming, it can be served with a bowl of rice and a crispy salad. When drizzled with ghee, it becomes a deeply soothing, warming, and nourishing meal.

The tomatoes can be replaced with any vegetable of choice. I like the process of stewing them in a voggarane pan before adding them to the dal; this way, they slightly caramelize, deepening the flavour with the spices.

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~ Evening forage at the end of the day in a blanket of mist.  Silent.

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one-pot dal

preparation  30 mins

serves 3 – 4

Inspired by Tara O’brady – Everyday Yellow Dal.

In Ayurveda, it is important to understand the different types of dal/legumes used and their energetic qualities. The most favourable and used most often – is whole moong (mung beans); when husked and split, it becomes split moong. These two are easy to digest, gentle on the system and cause minimum disturbances to all constitutions.  All other dals are recommended to use in moderation and in small quantities.

ingredients

1 cup/200g yellow split moong dal

3 cups/750ml water

voggarane

2 Tbsp ghee

½ tsp black mustard seeds

1½ heaped tsp cumin seeds

1 dried chilli – torn in half

⅛ tsp asafoetida powder

12 fresh curry leaves

⅛ heaped tsp turmeric powder

1 heaped tsp finely chopped ginger

2 medium tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp fine rock salt

a small handful coriander leaves

juice from half a lemon

to serve

cabbage carrot palya

chapati

preparation

  1. Wash the dal in a bowl until the water runs clear. Drain and refill with 3 cups water—set aside.
  2. Finely chop the tomatoes and measure the spices for the voggarane – set aside.

prepare the voggarane

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the ghee and mustard seeds. When the seeds turn grey and pop, turn down the heat. Add cumin seeds, chilli, and asafoetida—fry for a few seconds, then add curry leaves and turmeric powder, swishing the pan around so the spices fry evenly.
  2. Add the tomato and ginger, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally – fry until the tomato starts to break up.
  3. Add the dal and water to the bowl, bring to a rapid simmer, and simmer until the dal is soft and broken down—20 minutes. Add more water if the dal becomes too dry.
  4. Add salt, jaggery, lemon juice and garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve with chapati, a cabbage or okra palya.

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Goodness shared from Stacey