Skin on Split Moong Dal Curry with Spinach and Tomatillo. / (NC Fall Season pictures - 1 )

In Indian cooking Split moong Dal with skin  is well known for its easy to digest quality. It cooks quickly and adapts to various recipes like Curry,  Usal, Dosa, Vada, Khichadi. I gave slight sour twist by adding Tomatillo. No garam masla is used in this curry. All ingredientes and herbs together bring nice green tone to this nutritious Mung Dal curry.

Scroll down to enjoy beautiful glimpses of fall foliage  shots captured around home.

Ingredients :-

• 3/4 Cup Split moong Dal with skin - picked and rinsed.
• 1/4 Cup split green peas (soak for half an hour)
• 1 Cup diced Tomatillo
• 1.5 Cup tightly pressed  frozen chopped Spinach ( If using fresh - take 3 Cups chopped)
• 6-7 cloves of garlic - finely crushed
• 1.5 inch piece of ginger - finely crushed
• 3-4 green chilies - finely crushed
• 8-12 curry leaves
• 1 medium size onion - finely chopped

Cooking Process :-

Step - A

1. This curry is cooked in two seperate cooking steps and later combined together to retain green color of Spinach.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in pressure pan or pressure cooker. Add  curry leaves and sizzle for 6-7 seconds. Add chopped onions and saute on medium heat until they are soft and translucent.
2. Now add rinsed split moong dal + green split peas with 2 Cups water. Add salt and let it simmer. Once it starts boiling cover the pressure pan lid. Allow one whistle then quickly reduce the heat to low, after 5-6 minutes shut off the heat. During this process it is ok if it blows second whistle. Keep pressure cook aside to cool.

Step - B

1. Combine and finely crush ginger, garlic, green chilies.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add crushed ginger, garlic, green chilies..sizzle for 10-15 seconds..quickly add diced tomatillo - saute for 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle little water if it gets completely dry.
3. Mix chopped spinach, little salt -saute on medium low flame for 7-8 minutes.
4. Now combine Spinach+Tomatillo mixture with cooked split moong dal in cooker. Place pressure pan again on heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes on medium temperature. Adjust consistency by adding little more water. Enjoy with rice/roti...also enjoy in a bowl as thick hearty soup by drizzling spoonful of hot melted ghee.

Note :- In absence of pressure cooker you can cook split moong dal on stovetop. Take 3 quart size pot and follow step-A...Here mung beans will absorb water so increase water quantity. It should take 30-35 minutes to have tender cooked texture.

Mixing together Spinach+Tomatillo mixture with cooked Moong Dal+Green split peas

 

  

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

First four pictures are taken almost at the same spot with interval of few days..watch for the  changes in colors.