Sookhi Moong Dal

This is one of those dishes which always reminds me of my aunt C......whenever we would got to visit her during our summer holidays this would be one of the items on the breakfast table...this was one of those dishes which my mom would rarely make and hence I would always take spoonfuls of this whenever I got an opportunity.

I like this dish because its a simple , healthy and light breakfast item which is a great side dish , though I can have it all by itself for breakfast.

After I got married , I made this and it turned out slightly mashed ...as I had added too much water , so I ended up having to cook something more acceptable for breakfast . Then I never tried it again for a long time ...then one day when I was all alone ( hubby dear having gone for a business trip ) I gave it another try this time being very careful about the amount of water I added and it turned out perfect ..... that gave me the courage to try it once again when hubby was around. But it was rejected .. much to my sorrow .. as it was perceived as a dish from UP and anything that was not Punjabi was not acceptable .

So this dish again got pushed to the background , with paranthas and other dishes hogging the limelight of the breakfast table .

Then suddenly one day a miracle happened ....hubby dear mentioned one evening that I can make this dal for breakfast .....I was amazed at this change of heart and could not believe my ears ...

After much deliberation I decided that the unthinkable had actually happened ....and so after 3 long years of humiliation ..the moong dal finally got its position on our weekend breakfast table..

The dish would require some planning in the sense that the dal needs to be soaked for atleast 30 minutes , but the rest is real simple.

Split moong dal - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 big ( finely chopped )

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece ( finely chopped)

Green chilli - 2 finely chopped

Zeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/4 t sp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 t sp

Salt - as per taste

Oil - 1 tb sp

Water - 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup

Finely chopped coriander leaves - for garnish

Lemon - 1

Soak the split moong dal in water for 30-60 minutes, the dal would increase in size after soaking . Drain all the water and keep the dal aside.

In a wok/ karahi ( wide mouthed utensil ) heat the oil , once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds . Once they start spluttering add the ginger followed by the onion and green chilli.

Stir for 2 mins till the onion becomes translucent , then add the drained split moong dal . Add the salt, chilli powder, turmeric and mix it with a light hand . Then add 1/2 cup of water and cover the vessel . Reduce the flame to medium , after 5 minutes open the cover and check the dal , if it is not cooked ( it should retain its shape but at the same time would be soft) then add a little more water and again cover ( add only a little water , if you add more water then the dal would get overcooked and break ) . Once the dal is cooked , stir it lightly with the ladle and wait for all the water to evaporate and fry the dal a little ( go light on stirring , as the dal would break with vigorous stirring).

Check for salt then garnish with coriander leaves. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.