Khadi Moong Dal recipe

From my mom diaries, comes a heirloom recipe – Khadi moong dal recipe. Plain moong dal (yellow lentils) cooked in a different way that will surely tempt your taste buds asking for more. As a kid, I was never fond of this dal and seeing a plain moong dal on my plate made me lose all my appetite. But this dal was different and the way my mom cooked, it was all the more special. “Khadi” means soft yet firm grain of dal. It is cooked to a point where the grain is soft when pressed in between the fingers, firm and not mushy.

Just like pethe ki sabzi (pumpkin vegetable) this was another dish which I never relished as a kid. Well, as said, eating habits change as you grow and today moong dal (yellow lentils) is my ultimate comfort food.

RECIPE DETAIL – Start by washing the lentils, add to a pressure cooker along with ingredients mentioned below and pressure cook for 1 whistle (5-10 minutes). You can cook it in an open pan too – follow the same procedure and cook until the grains are soft when pressed in between the fingers. Trick to this dal is – Do not overcook.

Once the lentils are cooked, let it sit until all the steam is released. Dal will soak up all the water, so add just enough water to make a thick consistency. At this point adjust salt and follow the step by step process below to finish the dal. 

SOME TIPS – 

• Make sure onions and tomatoes are chopped very finely for this recipe.
• Other additions to this recipe would be – chopped green chilies and some lemon juice.  
• Finish the dal by pouring a hot tadka on top.
• Pour hot ghee in such a way that it circles the whole bowl and sizzles. This way ghee will be distributed all around – now this is what I call….delicious. 🙂  

This way you will feel the crunch in every bite. Do try your hand at this recipe and soon it will become one of the favorites in your house too. Enjoy it with warm tandoori roti.

Try other veggies to accompany this dal – Palak paneer, Kurkuri bhindi, Pethe ki sabzi, Arbi masala, dum aloo and many more…

Khadi Moong Dal recipe

4.58 from 7 votes

Quick and easy yellow lentils recipe topped with chopped onions,tomatoes & spices. It will leave your taste buds asking for more.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 PEOPLE

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INGREDIENTS 

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FOR THE DAL

• ▢ 1 cup Yellow Moong Dal
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Haldi
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 2 cups Water

TADKA INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 1/2 cup Fine chopped Onions
• ▢ 1/2 cup Chopped tomatoes without pulp
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Chopped cilantro leaves
• ▢ 3/4-1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Ghee for Tempering
• ▢ 1 small Chopped green Chili (optional)
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoon Lemon Juice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Measure dal.
  
• Wash and clean dal of all the dirt and grit. Pressure cooker with 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 1 whistles.
  
• Let the dal sit till all the steam is released. Dal will look like this - cooked to a point where the grain is soft when pressed in between the fingers, firm and not mushy.
  
• Add 1/2 cup of water and gently mix the dal.
  
• Consistency of the dal should be thick.
  
• Transfer dal to a serving bowl and assemble rest of the ingredients. Kadhi dal is ready for tempering. At this point adjust salt.
  
• Start by adding chopped onion to the dal.
  
• Add chopped tomatoes.
  
• One by one sprinkle all the spices listed above.
  
• Feel free to add chopped green chilies to the dal.
  
• Finally top the dal with chopped cilantro leaves.
  
• Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. As the cumin seeds start to sizzle...
  
• Pour hot ghee on top of the dal. Pour hot ghee in such a way that it circles the whole bowl and sizzles. This way ghee will be distributed all around. You will hear a sizzle for a second, tadka is done.
  
• Khadi dal tadka is ready.
  
• One per taste, pour some lemon juice on top.
  
• Serve hot with warm rotis.
  

RECIPE NOTES

PETHE KI SABZI

DAL TADKA

PALAK PANEER

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.

Author: Ruchi

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

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