Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal / Bengali Roasted Moong Dal with vegetables
Moong dal / muger dal releases a nutty aroma when dry roasted and that
is what makes the dal or khichdi more special. Dry roasted moong dal cooked with
all the seasonal vegetables is a very homely preparation and can be made daily.
You can skip the dry roasting step to omit the richness in your daily diet but
otherwise its totally perfect for everyday meal.
I cook this dal almost every day to have our daily dose
of veggies and there is hardly any day when I had become bored of this
particular lentil.
Ma also made this muger dal (some times roasting and sometimes not) religiously throughout my schooldays, to feed me a fistful of rice in the morning. With all my tantrums and all the school related nuisances she made sure that I had all the vegetables, and if not solid ones then at least their goodness through the dal and some carbs with the rice. I can't say that I loved this dal back then...rather the school panic almost made all the taste to take a detour from my taste buds direct to the stomach!!
Sobji Diye Bhaja Muger Dal
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 cups of moong dal
1 medium onion – sliced
1 medium tomato – chopped
½ inch stick of ginger – minced
3-4 garlic pods – minced
½ cup small cauliflower florets (if available)
A handful of baby carrots / a medium carrot – chopped
A handful of pumpkin - cubed
A handful of French beans – chopped
A handful of green peas
A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped
2-3 green chillies – chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 dry red chillies
A pinch of hing / asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt
2 tbsp oil
P.S : You can also add bottle gourd, radish, flat bean (sim) and pointed gourd (potol).
Method:
Wash the moong dal until clear water runs out and drain
the water. Make sure there is no excess water.
Heat a kadai / skillet on medium flame and put the washed
and drained mung dal into the skillet.
Keep stirring the mung dal or otherwise it will start to
stick to the kadai / skillet.
Dry Roast in this way for 2-3 minutes or until the yellow
mung dal becomes a little brown and you can smell its nutty flavour.
Once done, transfer them to a pressure cooker and add 5-6
cups of water to them. Pour everything in a pressure cooker and add in the
turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cook on pressure till the cooker
blows 3-5 whistles. Let the steam pass
out naturally and then open the cover.
Heat the oil in a kadai / pan and add in the cumin seeds,
dry red chillies and hing / asafoetida.
Sauté for 10-12 seconds and then add the sliced onions to
them.
Sauté on medium heat till the onions become translucent
and a little redish.
Then add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté till the
raw garlic flavour is gone. It will take half a minute or so.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become
mushy. It’s not necessary to cook them until they ooze out oil.
Next throw in all the vegetables and green chillies.
Sprinkle some salt over them and cook covered for 5-6 minutes, or until they
are half cooked. If required, add a dash of water to cook them.
When the vegetables are half cooked, pour in the cooked
moong dal and let it simmer on medium flame till all the vegetables are cooked
and the dal reaches your desired consistency. Do not make the dal too thick
because mung dal tends to be thicker as it cools down.
Taste and adjust the seasoning and sprinkle the chopped
coriander leaves over them.
Serve hot with some dry potato curry / Bengali mashed
potato and steamed hot rice.
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