Radhuni Diye Mug Dal

Radhuni is often confused for celery seeds or carom seeds. They are dried fruits and mainly produced in South East Asia, South Asia and Indonesia. In India it is only used in Bengali cuisine. Used in a very small quanitity Radhuni imparts a very strong aroma and is usually the central part of many iconic Bengali dishes, one of them being shukto.

Radhuni gives a strong earthy flavour and it gives the dal a very particular flavour, which you can get only from Radhuni. Add some caramelized onion to this...and the mug dal simply becomes perfect...!!

Slice the onions.

Heat some oil in a kadai and add the onions.

Fry the onions until they become red.

Add the cooked boiled dal to the fried onions and simmer until the dal becomes thick.

In a separate smaller pan take some oil, radhunu and red chilli powder. Place that pan on medium flame until the radhuni seeds starts to sizzle.

Add this tempered oil to the simmering dal.

Mix them well and switch off the flame.

Radhuni Foron Diye Mug Dal

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of yellow split lentils / mug dal

1 tsp radhuni

1 medium onion – sliced

Salt

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp oil

Method:

Wash and rinse the moong dal until clean water runs through.

Put this washed dal in the cooker and add 2-3 cups of water to it.

Cook the dal until the cooker blows 3 whistles. Switch off the flame and leave the cooker aside until the pressure settles down.

Open the lid and whisk the cook the dal with a wire whisk until everything is mashed.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and add the onions to them.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the onions until they become red.

Add the cooked dal to them now. Add water if the dal is too thick.

Simmer until the dal reaches your desired consistency.

In a separate small pan heat the rest of the oil and add the radhuni and red chilli powder to them.

Simmer for a minute or until the radhuni sizzles.

Pour this tempered oil into the dal and mix them well.

Simmer for a minute more.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with some rice and potato curry.