Moong and Spring Onion Dal Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup Moong Dal/split Yellow Lentils
4-6 Spring Onions, thinly sliced (Keep the green part separate from the white ones)
2 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 large Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 inch Ginger, finely chopped or grated
2-3 Green Chillies, slit
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ - 1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Jaggery/Sugar (Optional but recommended)
½ medium Lime Juice (Adjust acc to taste)
2 tbsp fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Kalonji/Nigella Seeds (Optional)
Few Methi/Fenugreek Seeds (Optional)
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1-2 Dry Red Chillies, halved
Few Curry Leaves
½ tbsp Ghee/Oil

Method:

Add turmeric powder, a drop of oil and 2 cups of water to washed moong dal and cook till the lentils are cooked though without loosing their shape, about 10-15 mins.

Mean while, chop all the vegetables and keep them aside. Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, halved dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute till the spices turn golden brown and aromatic.

Next add finely chopped garlic and slit green chillies and sauté for half a minute. Mix in white parts of spring onions along with chopped ginger and sauté till onions becomes translucent, about 1-2 mins.

Add garam masala and chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes till tomatoes turn pulpy. At this stage add cooked moong dal, jaggery and salt to taste. Pour 1- 1½ cups of water and simmer the dal. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes so that all the flavours blend well.

Mix in lime juice and greens of spring onion and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves.