I wake up early, and after my morning yoga practice and chores, I take my morning tea up to my room, open the doors wide, and sit enjoying all the different bird calls that greet the morning. Usually, it is still dark, and I am blessed to witness that mystical time when the generous light gently ushers in a new day. I am always surrounded by colour and song. It is my favourite moment of the day.
This morning, raindrops tinkled, leaving everything so clean and vibrant. It was magical. This is how it looked.
SOOTHING YELLOW DAL TOVVE
Moong dal is one of my favourite dals. It is so soft and soothing and is known for its very easy digestion. It is a green, round mung bean that is skinned and split. In India, this particular dish is usually made with ash gourd, which is categorised as a very sattvic vegetable. As ash gourd is difficult to come by here, I have replaced it with zucchini.
You could use red lentils, but they don’t have the same soft, soothing, pure quality found in the moong dal.
ingredients
1 cup split moong dal (green gram)
6 cups water
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 large tomato, finely chopped
first voggarane
2 tsp ghee
1 small green chilli
¼ cup dried shredded coconut
second voggarane
1 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
8 curry leaves
juice of half a lemon
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp heaped fine rock salt
preparation
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, wash the moong dal until the water runs clear. Add 6 cups water and bring to boil. Lower the heat to maintain a rapid simmer—simmer for 10 minutes, then add the zucchini, carrot, turmeric powder, and ghee—simmer until the dal softens and breaks down about 30 minutes.
- Add the tomato to the dal – simmer for 5 minutes.
prepare first voggarane
- Heat the ghee in a small pan, add the chilli, and allow it to sizzle. Then turn off the flame, remove the chilli, and set aside the ghee.
- In a high-speed blender, add the coconut, chilli, and enough water to make a smooth liquid. Blend for a few seconds, then add to the pot, using a little extra water to swish the blender clean.
prepare second voggarane
- Using the small pan with the previous ghee, reheat and add the cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, and curry leaves. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds, then turn off the heat.
- Add the spices to the dal, salt to taste, and add freshly squeezed lemon and coriander leaves. Allow to sit for the flavours to open up.
Serve with steamed broccoli and whole-cooked barley—perfect food for these cooler Autumn evenings.
Goodness shared from Stacey
