Moong Daal

Ingredients

• 1½ cups split yellow moong daal (dhuli moong), washed until the water runs clear
• 4 cups water, plus more if needed
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 2 dried whole red chillies
• ½ tsp Kashmiri or mild red chilli powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, to finish

Instructions

1. Wash the moong daal in several changes of water, rubbing gently, until the water is mostly clear. Soak it in cool water for 15 minutes while you chop, then drain.
2. Put the drained daal in a pot with the water, turmeric, ginger, tomato and slit green chillies. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any white foam.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes so nothing sticks. The daal is ready when the grains are completely soft and break easily when pressed with a spoon.
4. Add the salt and whisk the daal for a minute to make it creamy. If it is too thick, stir in hot water a quarter cup at a time until it flows like a thick soup. Keep it on the lowest heat.
5. Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds, then add the onion and fry until light golden, about 4 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and dried red chillies and fry for 1 minute until the garlic is golden, not dark brown. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chilli powder so it does not burn.
7. Pour the hot tarka over the daal straight away. It should sizzle loudly. Stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and half the coriander, then cover for 2 minutes to let the flavours settle.
8. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot, topped with the remaining coriander.

Tips

• Do not skip the washing and short soak. It helps the daal cook evenly and keeps the flavour clean.
• Watch the garlic closely in the tarka. It turns from golden to bitter in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat slightly early.
• Daal thickens as it stands. Keep some hot water ready to loosen it before serving.
• For a smoother texture, whisk the cooked daal vigorously or give it two or three pulses with a hand blender.