Everyday food - Dal

I can eat dal and rice/roti everyday with no complaints. Last week I tried two new dishes, one with moong dal and the other with channa and urad dal. 

Moong Dal
I got this recipe from my sister. This time, I did not take the easy way out and cook the lentils in the pressure cooker. I followed the recipe exactly and cooked the lentils on the stovetop. The dal was yummy!



1 cup moong dal
2 tbsp oil
1 onion
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
few curry leaves
few coriander leaves finely chopped
pinch turmeric powder
salt
2 cups water

Wash the dal and soak it in 2 cups water for about half an hour. Finely chop the onions, green chillies, ginger and saute on a medium flame. Once the onion turns golden brown, add the soaked dal with the water, curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder. Cook on low flame. When it is half done (about 15 minutes), add tomatoes. Blend well. In another 10 minutes the dal should be fully cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Dal Methiwali
One more recipe from my sister. I think she got this from some magazine and I had it for a long time but never got around to making it until now. In the photo, the dal does not look very appetizing but the dish was actually pretty good.

1/3 cup channa dal
1/3 cup urad dal
2 cups water
1 small onion
1/4" ginger
salt  to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsps dried fenugreek leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp ghee or butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch hing
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 dhania powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lemon juice

Wash the dals, and soak in 2 cups water in a large heavy bottomed saucepan for 30 minutes. Chop the onion, and ginger finely. Add to the soaked lentils along with salt, turmeric powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes or until lentils are cooked. Or you could just pressure cook the lentils to two whistles. Keep aside. Chop garlic finely. Warm ghee in a small kadai. Add the cumin seeds and hing. When cumin seeds splutter, add the chopped garlic and cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat and quickly add the chili powder and dhania powder. Stir for a second and pour this into the lentil mixture. Mix in the garam masala and lemon juice.