Green Moong Dal
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday May 9, 2023 06:00
It started with a minor case of congestion before bed, followed by a headache and now a cough. My appetite is a little wonky. I feel peckish but can hardly taste anything.
Eating food you cannot taste has to be the worst kind of torture, cooking is even more contentious, besides the fact that I have prescribed bed rest as of today, cooking is tricky because I can't taste and can only catch a slight whiff of the flavours.
1, 2, 1, 2, and I’ve over seasoned and ruined the whole meal. Other than increasing my liquid intake, I’m having some fruit and felt like having a curry the other evening. I opted for Green Moong Dal.
What I did is blindly measure some into a bowl and soaked them (overnight soak is always more effective). In a pot, I threw in all the spices, garlic, onion and veg and toasted them before adding the tomatoes.
All that was left was for me to share instructions with my husband to drain the beans, add them to the pot, add water and allow to simmer on medium heat whilst I went to get more bed rest. Soaking your beans (this goes for all types of beans) is one way of cutting down cook time. He firstly needed 25min on the timer, when it went off, I instructed he gives them a stir and add another 25min until they were cooked through.
The trick is to ensure that if they aren’t soft yet, to replenish the water and allow to cook on a sturdy medium heat. Beans and soups are highly recommended when one has a cold because they are high in protein and antioxidant quotient, which gives the body the much needed energy required to fight off the cold. I have read that a Green Moong Bean soup can help to clear the respiratory system.
There is actually an amazing number of benefits attributed to these beans. I know my dad stocks up on them. I think I’ll start to do the same throughout the year too and not just to tie us down over winter.
These comforting beans can be served and enjoyed on their own. However, common sides include fluffy rice basmati and some flat bread (of course I would make 2 Ingredient dough flat bread with Nutriday plain yogurt). How long will leftovers keep? The curry tastes best as soon it is served after making it. If you have leftovers keep it for a day only in the refrigerator. The flavours change after refrigeration and the consistency thickens. Let the dal completely cool at room temperature before transferring to an airtight container.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup moong beans – soaked in water for an hour or two hours or overnight
4 tbls oil 2 bay Leafs
1 tsp cumin or seeds
1 onion diced 2 chillies (optional) 1 cup or tin diced tomatoes
1 diced carrot (optional)
1 diced potato (optional)
1 tsp garlic
½ tsp tumeric
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp garam masala 2 tbls plain Nutriday yoghurt
½ tsp coriander
Salt to taste
5-6 cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse green moong beans for a couple of times and then soak in enough water to cover. You can also soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. If soaking overnight, the cooking time will reduce. After 2 hours or overnight, drain all the water and then keep the soaked beans aside. (Overnight is best) Chop the onion, tomato and green chillies. Chop the ginger and garlic and other veggies. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Keep the heat to a low. Add all the spices – cook until fragrant
• Then add the chopped onions with veggies. Sauté the onions till light golden on medium-low to medium heat. Stir in garlic and ginger and sauté for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and sauté on medium-low to medium heat till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides. Add the soaked moong beans. Stir to combine.
Add 2.5-3 cups water and salt as per taste. Mix very well. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on a medium to high heat till the moong beans are softened thoroughly. If they still have slight bite to them, then add some more water and cook for another 30 minutes. The consistency of the dal should not be watery. While cooking, you can mash a few lentils with the back of the spoon. Switch off the heat when you get the desired consistency in the dal. Garnish with Cilantro and Nutriday plain yoghurt.