Looking for more dal? This Dal Makhani is a legend! I have had a long love affair with dal. Even a simple dal can add so much flavour and nutritious substance to a meal. It works equally well as a side dish or main. Perfection. Although a dal works perfectly as a side dish to a whole range of curry dishes, it is also brilliant as a main. I love a bowl of dal with a freshly toasted naan bread to dip as a substantial and nutritious lunch! The delicately spiced lentils are a great platform for other flavours as well. I made the most of that in this recipe by adding tadka made of onion, garlic and spices. Just a light drizzle of the tadka adds a massive amount of aroma and seasoning to the dal!
Moong dal
Moong dal is known by plenty of other names, most commonly mung beans. When called moong dal it means the beans have been split and washed. Splitting the mung bean and removing their skins makes them easier to digest. It also changes the colour from green to yellow. They are commonly grown in India and used in a long of traditional recipes. Outside of India, moong dal can be harder to find than mung beans, but it can certainly be found in large stores, whole foods stores, Indian shops and online. Give it a try and you’ll be glad you made the effort. The dal tends to lose its shape when cooked, which can result in a very creamy consistency.
Moong dal recipe
One of the reasons I keep coming back to dal when it is time to make dinner is that a basic dal recipe is easy to master. The one I’ve used here for moong dal is no different. I’ve suggested soaking the lentils. This isn’t always necessary but soaking the lentils can cut the cooking time by as much as half. Heat up a tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pot or saucepan and add the onion and ginger. Let it fry for five minutes and add the grated tomato. Let it cook for five more minutes over medium heat. Now bring in the moong dal, turmeric and salt with water and give it a good stir. Turn up the heat till it comes to a boil, then turn down the heat. Let it simmer till the lentils are tender.
Tadka
Tadka is a technique from India that is used to bring an extra dose of flavour to dishes. To make tadka, whole spices are fried in hot ghee or oil and then added to a dish. Oil has a fantastic way of releasing the best bits of anything it touches. Tadka releases both flavour and aroma from all the ingredients added to it, making it a stunning topping that can transform any dish. The ingredients added to tadka vary widely across India based on what is traditionally found in each region. I’ve chosen a simple version with common spice, onion and garlic. Asafetida is a great addition but it is not essential for this tadka.
Serving suggestions
Dal is very much a side dish, although it can definitely be served as a simple dinner option. It’s made to be served over rice, and although simple basmati will always work, I occasionally like to switch things up with Coconut Rice. Chances are, you will want to add a flavourful, chunky curry with dal to make the meal complete. The good news is that I have a lot of options for you in my curry collection. If I must make a suggestion, I find that fragrant Chicken Rogan Josh is a wonderful partner for this dal. Or Cauliflower and Potato Curry (Aloo Gobi) to keep the meal vegetarian.
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in a fridge for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container. When it’s time to reheat, either use a microwave or a saucepan with an added splash of water if the dal is looking too thick. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely and then reheat as above.
More vegetarian curry recipes
Easy Coconut Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash Paneer Tikka Masala Easy Egg Curry with Peas and Potatoes Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
