Usually sona Moong Daal has an elite status in Bengal . It's a smaller variant of the regular moong daal and is more flavorful than its counterpart. It is not that commonly found in rest of India however. But one can elevate the beautiful aroma of moong daal just by following a simple trick - dry roast it. It serves two purposes- the daal becomes more aromatic and also it doesn't stick to each other. Popularly we call it as Bhaja Moong er daal or fried moong daal. Its sort of a misnomer, because we really do not fry it but dry roast it. The earthy aroma of dry roasted daal on slow flame gives the daal its characteristic flavor.
We cook moong in both ways - with or without roasting. The without roasting variant has easier recipes while the roasted one follows an elaborate recipe to create a scrumptious daal loaded with beautiful spices, roasted coconut chunks, vegetables or fish. While it tastes awesome that way, the process is long and laborious. So when you are looking for a quick weekday daal, it really doesn't fit the bill. And that is the reason why I used to not make moong daal very often until a few weeks ago.
My mom told me about a very simple moong daal recipe comprising of only Kalonji (Kalo jire) and chillies in the tempering. Initially a person like me who is either used to adding whole garam masala or white jeera would find it hard to visualize how the Kalonji will go with the flavor profile. But when I did give it a shot, it turned out so amazing that it has now become one of my go to daals. Its quick, easy and delicious. The fragrance of kalonji fried in ghee weds the earthy aroma of roasted moong and creates a lingering magic.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serving : 3-4 people
Ingredients :
- Moong Daal - 250 gm
- Kalonji (Kalo Jire) - 1/2 th tsp
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Green Chilli - 3, slitted
- Ghee - 2 tsp +1 tsp
- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
- Salt to taste
Method:
1. Dry roast the Moong daal in a flat pan, preferably with wide surface area, so that you can move around the daal uniformly. Do this on a low to medium heat.
Tip: Keep stirring the daal to roast it uniformly. If you let it just sit there, some might burn while others might not even be roasted.
Note: Daal has to be washed after it is roasted.
2. As soon as you can see them turning a light shade of golden brown and get a nice aroma, transfer them to another vessel and wash it nicely with water.
3. Transfer the washed daal into the pressure cooker and add necessary amount of water (add more water if you want a soupy daal). You can keep this to soak for about 30 minutes and then pressure cook, so that it gets cooked sooner or you can directly put it on pressure cooking for approximately 2 whistles. Let the steam die off and then open the lid and give it a nice stir. If the daal breaks a bit it will taste better and the consistency will be thicker.
3. Now in a wok add 2 tsp of ghee. Once heated add the kalonji, bay leaf and the slitted green chillies.
Tip: Remember to slit the chillies before adding to the ghee, else it may splutter.
4. Add the boiled daal and fold in.
5. Add turmeric and salt and give it a stir. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes on medium flame with lid on. Once it comes to a rolling boil, switch off the flame and top it off with 1 tsp of ghee. Put the lid back on and let it sit till you are ready to serve.
Tip: Vary the ghee amount as per your liking.
Serve it with steamed rice and choice of vegetable subzi or fritters.
Tip: Keep stirring the daal to roast it uniformly. If you let it just sit there, some might burn while others might not even be roasted.
Note: Daal has to be washed after it is roasted.
2. As soon as you can see them turning a light shade of golden brown and get a nice aroma, transfer them to another vessel and wash it nicely with water.
3. Transfer the washed daal into the pressure cooker and add necessary amount of water (add more water if you want a soupy daal). You can keep this to soak for about 30 minutes and then pressure cook, so that it gets cooked sooner or you can directly put it on pressure cooking for approximately 2 whistles. Let the steam die off and then open the lid and give it a nice stir. If the daal breaks a bit it will taste better and the consistency will be thicker.
3. Now in a wok add 2 tsp of ghee. Once heated add the kalonji, bay leaf and the slitted green chillies.
Tip: Remember to slit the chillies before adding to the ghee, else it may splutter.
4. Add the boiled daal and fold in.
5. Add turmeric and salt and give it a stir. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes on medium flame with lid on. Once it comes to a rolling boil, switch off the flame and top it off with 1 tsp of ghee. Put the lid back on and let it sit till you are ready to serve.
Tip: Vary the ghee amount as per your liking.
Serve it with steamed rice and choice of vegetable subzi or fritters.
