There are two different ways to prepare this dish. One is more of a soupy, liquid dish, and the second is a dry palya; both use the same ingredients, whilst the main difference is the amount of water used.
Soupy Whole Moong Dal with Garden Greens
preparation 40 minutes
serves 3
ingredients
½ cup/100g whole moong dal (mung beans)
4½ cups water
2 cups/55g loosely packed kale/fenugreek/spinach, cabbage & coriander leaves
2 Tbsp dried shredded coconut
1 tsp fine rock salt
1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar
1 -2 tsp lemon juice
voggarane
1 – 2 Tbsp ghee
½ tsp black mustard seeds
1 heaped Tbsp split channa dal
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1 chilli (broken into three pieces)
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder
⅛ tsp turmeric powder
12 curry leaves
to serve
Basmati rice
Yoghurt with cucumber
Beetroot Palya or Grated Beetroot Salad
preparation
- In a medium saucepan, wash the dal until the water runs clear, drain, then pour in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer, and simmer, uncovered, until tender—about 20-30 minutes or until the dal is cooked. Just keep in mind that you may need to add more water when cooking, depending on the quality of your dal.
- While waiting for the dal to cook, wash the greens and roughly chop. Measure out the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
prepare the voggarane
- Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and channa dal and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and the dal is golden brown.
- Turn down the heat and add the chilli and asafoetida powder. Continue to fry for 20 seconds, swishing the pan around so the spices fry evenly. Add the curry leaves and turmeric powder, turn off the heat, and then add the voggarane to the dal.
- Sprinkle in the dried coconut, salt, jaggery, and lemon juice, and fold in the green leaves. Mix well, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Taste, adding more sweet or sour as needed.
Serve over rice, drizzle with ghee and sprinkle with a few rounds of freshly ground pepper.
tips
- Soak the dal in the morning or evening for quick meal preparation.
- To keep the green leaves vibrant, add only when ready to serve.
variation
- Use split yellow moong dal instead of the whole moong dal.
- Add in finely chopped carrots instead of the garden greens.
Dry Whole Moong Dal with Garden Greens
preparation 40 minutes
serves 3
ingredients
½ cup/100g whole moong dal (mung beans)
3 cups/750ml water
2 cups/55g loosely packed kale/fenugreek/spinach/cabbage & coriander leaves
2 Tbsp dried shredded coconut
1 tsp fine rock salt
1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar
1 – 2 Tbsp lemon juice
voggarane
1 Tbsp ghee
½ tsp black mustard seeds
1 heaped Tbsp split channa dal
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1 chilli (broken into three pieces)
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder
⅛ tsp turmeric powder
12 curry leaves
to serve
shaved carrot salad or carrot palya
basmati rice or chapati
preparation
- In a medium saucepan, wash the dal until the water runs clear, drain, then pour in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer, and simmer, uncovered, until tender—about 20-30 minutes. Just keep in mind that you may need to add more water when cooking, depending on the quality of your dal. Keep an eye on them and judge so you are not left with mush. You want the moong dal firm but cooked.
- While waiting for the dal to soften, wash the greens and finely chop. Measure out the remaining ingredients – set aside.
- When the dal is ready, pour it into a strainer to drain off any excess water. Leave for a few minutes.
prepare the voggarane
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the ghee; once it’s hot, add the mustard seeds and channa dal; fry until the mustard seeds start to pop and the dal is golden-brown.
- Turn down the heat and add the chilli and asafoetida powder. Continue to fry for 20 seconds, then add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Allow to fry for a few seconds, stirring to ensure the spices fry evenly.
- Turn off the heat and add the greens. Mix well (you may need to add 2 tablespoons of water if they feel too dry). Cover and allow the greens to wilt.
- Stir in the cooked dal, dried coconut, salt, and jaggery. Mix well, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavours to come together. Taste, adding more sweet or sour—I like to add extra lemon juice. When serving, garnish with lemon zest and freshly grated coconut.
