moong dal tadka (indian lentils)

this dal can be made more easily by someone with limited ingredients.

please check out hebbar’s kitchen for the full recipe with photo step-by-step!

moong dal recipe | moong dal tadka | restaurant style yellow moong dal

• 2 tbsp oil
• ▢ 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
• ▢ ½ onion (finely chopped)
• ▢ 1 green chilli (slit) (I wouldn’t include this if I was cooking it for a picky eater)
• ▢ 1 tomato (finely chopped)
• ▢ ¼ tsp turmeric / haldi
• ▢ ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ ¾ cup moong dal
• ▢ 3 cup water

for tempering / tadka:

• ▢ 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin / jeera
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
• ▢ 1 inch ginger (julienne)
• ▢ 1 dried kashmiri red chilli
• ▢ ¼ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp garam masala
• ▢ pinch of hing / asafoetida
• ▢ few curry leaves
  
• ▢ 2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon juice

• in an instant pot (or regular pot) heat 2 tbsp oil and saute ½ onion.
• also saute 1 inch ginger and 1 green chilli.
• additionally saute 1 tomato till it turns soft and mushy.
• add in ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp salt and saute.
• now add ¾ cup washed moong-dal and 3 cup water.
• mix well making sure everything is combined well.
• cover and cook until dal is soft.
• now prepare the tadka and pour the tadka over dal along with 2 tbsp coriander leaves and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
• finally, mix the moong dal tadka and serve with hot rice / roti.
  
  recipe by hebbars kitchen – check out their blog for a fantastic visual recipe!

---

This is not as flavorful as my favorite Gujarati dal – not coconutty like Khandeshi dal, or heavy like dal makhani – but the tadka has some good flavor. I’ll make it again. It will probably be my go-to dal recipe when I am cooking in a kitchen without many ingredients, and the dal I will recommend for picky eaters or those who are new to Indian food and aren’t ready for fenugreek, coconut, or tamarind. (Might want to cut the chili by quite a bit for a picky eater, especially if it sits overnight and the slit chili infuses itself into your leftovers!) It’s quite flavorful from the tadka, and I had absolutely no problem eating an entire batch of this over not even 24 hours. (Sorry, potluck dal…. you just lost your place in my rotation.)

Thanks again to hebbars kitchen for a great recipe. Check out all their wonderful dal recipes – or check out mine!

Advertisement

vellapayar / lobia curry (keralite black-eyed peas)

Black-eyed peas are affordable, healthy, and cook faster than some other dried beans and peas. Food from Kerala (a state in India) is super flavorful and delicious. As soon as I tasted this, I knew I’d make it again and again.

It’s the opposite of bland. Delicious and flavorful! Spices are more expensive here than in Kerala, and my budget is limited, so I’ll experiment with cutting the spices. I’ll post the original recipe from Dassana’s Veg Recipes of India, and my version.

• MY THRIFTIER VERSION:

1 c black-eyed peas & pinch of salt

2.5 c water

Pressure cook in Instant Pot for 20 minutes on high pressure. Natural release.

(If you don’t have a pressure cooker, just simmer in water until soft.)

▢ 0.75 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
▢ 1 inch of cinnamon
▢ 2 green cardamom
▢ 4 cloves
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper – slightly crushed
▢ 1 dried red chili
▢ ⅓ cup sliced pearl onions, shallots, or onions
▢ 8 curry leaves
▢ 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
▢ 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
▢ ½ cup chopped tomatoes
▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, optional
▢ 1.5 cups water or add as required
▢ salt as required

In large skillet or dutch oven, cook coconut oil over low heat. Add mustard seeds, cook until they splutter. Add cumin seeds, cook until they splutter. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and chili, cook for 2 seconds. Add onions, cook til soft. Add curry leaves, ginger, and garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add black pepper and tomatoes, cook for a few seconds. Add the powdered spices and cook until tomatoes soften. Add the water, cooked black-eyed peas, salt to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes or until delicious.

---

• ORIGINAL AUTHENTIC RECIPE:

1 c black-eyed peas

2.5 c water

Pressure cook for 10-12 whistles.

• ▢ 3 tablespoon coconut oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 2 pieces each of 1 inch cinnamon
• ▢ 2 green cardamoms
• ▢ 4 cloves
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper – slightly crushed
• ▢ 1 dried red chili
• ▢ ⅓ cup sliced pearl onions shallots or onions
• ▢ 8 to 10 curry leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coconut
• ▢ ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 2 green chilies – slit
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, optional
• ▢ 1.5 cups water or add as required
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil to be added later
• ▢ 3 to 4 curry leaves to be added later
  recipe by Dassana at Veg Recipes of India – check out her blog for beautiful photos and more detailed instructions!

---

Easily killed an entire pot of this in 2 days and already want more. It’s delicious! Serve it with rice or flatbreads like hoppers or naan. Would be delicious with veggies as well, like kaddu ki subji (Indian sweet and sour squash) or hyderabadi baghara baingan (indian sesame peanut eggplant) or baingan musasalam / mughlai baingan masala (indian eggplant and tomato) or a kadai mushroom masala. (These vegetable recipes are from other parts of India, not Kerala – so check out a Keralite food blog like samagni if you want to cook a fully authentic Keralite meal!)

snack peanuts (Indian masala peanuts)

What a super-healthy and delicious way to kick some flavor into peanuts! This recipe by indianhealthyrecipes is wonderful and savory. Seasoned peanuts with NO sugar and barely any oil!

---

1 c peanuts

1/4 c besan

2 T rice flour or corn starch

1/2 t chili powder

1/4-1/2 t garam masala

1 t ginger-garlic powder

1/2 t ajwain/carom seed

1 sprig curry leaves or mint leaves finely chopped

salt to taste (she suggests 1/3t)

oil (optional)

1/2 t amchur powder or chaat masala powder (optional)

1/8 t turmeric (optional)

The original recipe suggests lining a baking sheet with parchment, and heating your oven to 180C (which is 356 Fahrenheit). I HIGHLY recommend 425F – keep reading to find out why.

Rinse peanuts in water so the spice blend sticks. Add all your seasonings, and then the flour blend. Drip about a tablespoon of water over the peanuts, drip by drip, so the flours stick. She warns that with too much water, the flour will clump together and fall off the peanuts. You can also coat or drip with oil if you like them crunchy!

Sprinkle the oil over the nuts and bake for 10-12 min. If peanuts are still soft, keep baking. You can also deep fry these peanuts if you like them extra-crunchy!

 

recipe by Swasthi of Indian Healthy Recipes

---

I tried the recipe as written, at 350F. The peanuts ended up a bit soft, and without that lovely golden brown color I was dreaming of. I think that may be too low to trigger the Maillard reaction. After 15 minutes, the peanuts still had a sort of pale look to them, and had developed an almost soft and chewy texture. Kicking up the heat to 425F and roasting for an additional few minutes lent the peanuts more of a roasted peanut texture and a toasty flavor. In fact, the flavor of toasted rice is AMAZING, and used in Thai and Lao cooking as a seasoning! The texture of the besan is…. we’ll say “an acquired taste,” as it’s a bit grainier than the delicate rice flour. Definitely adds something, and if you like that “something” – go for it! Although I LOVE chickpea flour in socca/farinata, I may leave it out next time.

I used just water to stick the seasonings and flour onto the peanuts, and next time I will definitely try a bit of oil to see if that improves the crunchiness.

Since raw skin-on peanuts are dirt cheap at my local Chinese grocery store, without a doubt I plan to make about a million more batches of these peanuts. If I tweak the recipe at all, I’ll update this page.

Do you have a favorite snack nut recipe? I made these “special nuts” in 2011 – not quite as healthy, but definitely delicious if you have any “special butter” to use. Drop your favorite snack nut recipe in the comments, and let me know if you try Swasthi’s recipe!

kaddu ki subji (Indian sweet and sour squash) – 500TH RECIPE!

Want a fantastic vegan recipe that is stunningly delicious, with a kick of sour and savory, and unlike any squash recipe you know?

• 4 cups cubed winter squash (acorn, butternut, or similar)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1/8 tsp asafetida (hing) [or garlic/onion powder]
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
• 1 tbsp coriander powder (dhania)
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds coarsly ground (saunf)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1 tsp chili powder, or less if you like mild
  
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt  (I used closer to a half-teaspoon)
  
• 4 whole dried red chilies
• 1 tbsp shredded ginger
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp mango powder
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (hara dhania)

instructions

1. Peel and cut the squash into cubes. Save about ¼ of the squash peel and chop them.

   In a small bowl, mix the shredded ginger, coriander powder, funnel, red chili powder, paprika, turmeric, and ¼ cup of water to make a paste.

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready. Add cumin seeds and asafetida after seeds crack add fenugreek seeds and red chilies and stir for a few seconds.
3. Add the spice paste and stir-fry for a minute until spices start leaving the oil.
   
   
4. Add the squash, squash peels, salt, and ¼ cup of water. Mix well. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Squash will be semi mushy.
   
   
5. Make sure to stir gently every 3 to 4 minutes. Check if more water needed.
   
   
6. Lastly, add the mango powder, sugar and chopped cilantro. Mix everything and cover for a minute. Adjust the salt to your taste.

+

another winning recipe written and created by Manjula – check out Manjula’s kitchen for the full recipe with video and photo!

+

I was honestly blown away by this recipe. I can’t think of any recipe that calls for A TABLESPOON of ground fennel seed, and I was worried this would be overly licorice-y. It’s truly perfect, though.

I modified this recipe by leaving out the cilantro (don’t have any,) and the amchur powder (couldn’t find mine after reorganizing my spices a few months ago). I added extra fresh lemon and lime juice to compensate and get that sour kick. I also replaced the asafoetida with onion and garlic powder.

It’s hard to describe this recipe. This is the perfect FIVE HUNDREDTH recipe on fried sig because it’s everything I love. It’s affordable, it’s easy to prepare, it keeps well (the leftovers only got better each day,) it’s savory and sour and sweet, it’s healthy, and it’s very different than my typical squash recipes.

+

If you’re looking for other creative and healthy ways to use butternut, acorn, or other winter squash, consider squash and red lentil soup, or callaloo!

+

Thanks so much for reading friedsig! Yes, this is the 500th recipe posted on friedsig! Can’t believe this blog is still truckin’ on, FIVE HUNDRED recipes later.

500 recipes, and still hungry….

gajar halwa (Indian carrot pudding)

It’s dessert weather. If you want something to trick your loved ones into eating vegetables with something sweet and creamy and delicious, this is the ticket! Thanks to veg recipes of India for this one! If you like a soft, rich dessert that warms you from the inside, you’ll love this dessert!

+

8 to 9 medium tender juicy carrots or 650 grams (gajar) – yields approx 4 to 4.5 cups grated carrots
4 cups full fat organic milk
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
10 to 12 tablespoons regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar OR 180 to 190 grams sugar – add as required
5 to 6 green cardamom (choti elaichi) – powdered finely in a mortar-pestle or about ⅓ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
10 to 12 whole cashews (kaju) – chopped
10 to 12 almonds – sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins (kishmish)
1 pinch saffron strands (kesar) – optional

combine milk with rinsed, peeled, grated carrots.

simmer and stir until milk has reduced and become thick (might be a while)

add ghee, sugar, and cardamom – continue to simmer and stir

add the rest of the ingredients when the pudding has reduced quite a bit, and continue simmering until consistency is thick.

+

recipe by Dassana of veg recipes of India

+

I had a hard time eating the whole batch myself, so make sure you cut the recipe if you’re cooking for one, because this makes a lot of dessert! I like the consistency. It’s not exactly smooth like an American pudding, but not chewy like a British pudding, either. This is definitely its own thing! Definitely recommended.

khandeshi dal (Indian Maharashtrian coconut lentils)

This lentil recipe is from Khandesh, a region in Maharashtra (the second most populous state in India.) You’ll want to add this coconut masala to everything…

+

2 tablespoons whole green moong dal
2 tablespoons pink masoor dal
2 tablespoons split toor dal
2 tablespoons split white urad dal
2 tablespoons chana dal
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
cooking oil, as required
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
1 bay leaf (tej patta)
3 teaspoon lemon juice
salt, to taste
coriander/cilantro leaves, to taste

pakka masala recipe:
1/4 cup dry coconut (kopra), grated
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1.5 tablespoon coriander-cumin powder (dhania-jeera)
3 Kashmiri dry red chillies
3 cloves (laung)
2 cardamom (elaichi) pods
1 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
3 whole black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic

+

make the pakka masala:

Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add grated coconut (I used thin strips of dried coconut instead of shredded) and sliced onions, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add dry red chillies, coriander cumin powder, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black peppercorn. Sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes on low-medium flame.

Add garlic and sauté on medium flame for few seconds. Turn off the stove. Let it cool down completely.

Once cooled, blend in a mixer or in a blender to a smooth powder/paste and keep it aside.

make the dal:

soak dal for a half-hour or more.

cook on stove, or, pressure cook dal and moong with 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder.

Add 1/2 of the prepared masala powder/paste into dal, mix well and keep it aside.

For tempering, heat oil in a tadka pan and add mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the dry red chillies and bay leaf. Sauté on medium flame.

Add the prepared dal mixture, mix well and cook. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, and stir continuously.

Add some more masala paste to taste. Add lemon juice and adjust the salt accordingly.

Cook on low flame for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove. Garnish with some chopped cilantro (optional) and serve immediately.

+

from Archana’s Kitchen

+

Really fantastic! I used the leftover masala paste in stew, spread on the inside of a grilled cheese, mixed into cornmeal mush… I want to keep a jar of this stuff just to season my food throughout the week! The masala paste is similar to this Goan coconut sauce. Can’t wait to mess around with the ingredients and turn this into an herb-based hot sauce this summer!

This is one of my favorite recipes for dal, along with my favorite gujarati dal, and maybe dal makhani.

If you like caramelized onions and coconut and spice, give this a try!

ragda pattice (crispy mashed potato cakes with bean curry)

Everyone loves a potato pancake. Crispy outside, creamy inside, hearty… but all that grating can be time-consuming. Well, have you ever made a mashed potato pancake? These patties are like hash brown patties, but better. This is one of the best comfort foods I can imagine. If you have never tried ragda pattice (ragda patties) before, now’s the time.

FOR THE PATTIES:
potatoes – 3 or 4
corn flour, breadcrumbs, or anything to hold together the potatoes – about 1/4 cup
pinch of cumin-coriander powder
chopped green chili (to taste)
chopped cilantro (optional)

FOR THE RAGDA:
a can of white beans, or whatever you have in the house
a few curry leaves
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
water from a soaked tamarind pod, about a quarter-cup (I used maybe 2 tsp of paste)
1/4 t turmeric
1 t garam masala
red chili powder to taste (recipe says 2 t… mine was spicy with less than half of that)
pinch of asafoetida
pinch of amchur powder
pinch of fennel
chopped cilantro (optional)

+

PATTIES: Cut potatoes into chunks and boil. Remove skins. Mash with the chilis and some salt. Add corn flour or breadcrumbs, a pinch at a time, until consistency begins to resemble dough and not mashed potatoes. Form patties, like hamburgers.
Preheat a pan til it sizzles when a drop of water hits it. Add a little neutral oil, like canola. Fry patties until golden brown on both sides.

RAGDA: Start oil in a pan. Add curry leaves; fry 1-2 mins. Add ginger and garlic, stir-fry for a minute or two. Add spices and stir-fry for a minute or two. Add tamarind and beans. Turn down heat and simmer for about eight minutes, or until it tastes great. Salt to taste.

+

adapted by friedsig from raks kitchen

+

My favorite fish cake recipe is a little steamed fish mixed into mashed potatoes – it’s basically a mashed potato pancake. But I’ve never made them vegan, with hot chilis instead of fish. This is a real winner. The sauce is easy to throw together. The crispy, golden potato cakes satiated my craving for deep-fried junk food, and making it low sodium was no problem because of the great garam masala flavor. I’m even adding this recipe to the “rotation” tag so I can remember to make it again soon. A really great way to mix up the standard “rice and beans”.

Serve with veggies – like sesame peanut eggplant/baghara baingan, or sweet-and-sour eggplant/khatta meetha baingan, or eggplant with tomato/mughlai baingan masala, or palak paneer/spinach with cheese.

panchkuti dal (savory indian lentils)

a great savory vegan lentil dish from rajasthan. some people find my favorite gujarati dal too sweet and sour, and dal makhani too heavy. if that sounds like you, and you like something simple and hearty without sugar or cream, try this panchkuti dal. the combination of lentils works really well to set it apart, even though the spice blend reminds me a lot of other northern dal dishes, like dal from nearby punjab. i’ll make this panchkuti dal, also called panchmel dal or panchratan dal or just rajasthani dal, for my vegan or health-conscious friends – it’s one of my favorite lentil recipes with no cream, butter, sugar, or ghee. check out over thirty bean and lentil recipes right here.

+

2 tbsp chilkewale urad dal (split black lentils)
2 tbsp toovar (arhar) dal
2 tbsp green moong dal (split green gram)
2 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
2 tbsp masoor dal (split red lentil)
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
about an inch of cinnamon (dalchini)
4 tsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)
4 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
2 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces
8 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 bay leaf
pinch of amchur (green mango powder)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
0 to 4 minced fresh green chilis
salt to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice

+

cook dal by simmering in twice its volume in liquid (i just used a cup as a guide)

or tarladalal recommends, “Wash all the dals and soak them in enough water in a bowl for 1 hour. Drain. Combine the soaked dals with 1 cup of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside.”

in a separate pan, heat oil and add the whole mustard and cumin seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the cinnamon, garlic, ginger, red chillies and bay and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and amchur, and cook over a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garam masala and green chillies, mix well and cook over a medium flame for 1 minute.
Add the cooked dal, salt and lemon juice, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Serve hot. Top with cilantro leaves and plain yogurt.

+

recipe adapted from tarladalal and archana’s kitchen

+

(if you don’t have all five kinds of split lentils and peas, just use a combination of anything you have in the house! just make sure to cook whole lentils separately from split peas and lentils – they have a different cook time.)

puliyodharai / puliogare (tamarind rice)

This rice recipe from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and other parts of southern India, is the perfect fancy vegan dish for your next special occasion. It is a temple dish, offered as prasāda, or an offering to a deity.

+

cook a cup of rice as you normally would. use sesame oil instead of butter – about a tablespoon. when it’s done, add a quarter-teaspoon of turmeric and take off the heat.

for the spice blend, toast the following in an ungreased skillet:

dried red chilis (4 if you’re Indian, 3 if you like it very hot, 2 for medium-hot, and 1 for mild)
2 t whole coriander
1 t chana dal or yellow split peas or split chickpeas, and 1 t urad dal or split black dal
1/2 t whole sesame seeds
1/4 t each whole fenugreek and whole black pepper

when golden brown, crush these ingredients in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, along with a pinch of asafoetida if you have it.

set aside this ground spice mixture.

now bust out a big skillet or dutch oven. you will be tempering more spices in here.

heat 3 T sesame oil in the pan. when shimmering and hot, add 1 t urad dal and 1 t black mustard seeds, 1 t chana dal, and 1/4 t peanuts. when golden, add more dry chilis if you like, ten curry leaves, and 1/4 t turmeric. you can add a pinch of asafoetida here if you have it. add tamarind to taste – i used a few spoonfuls of paste mixed with about a cup of water – or you can use 50g of dried tamarind and soak for about a half-hour. salt the mixture. add a pinch of sugar or jaggery if you like. simmer until the mixture reduces a bit and looks saucy. add the ground spice mixture and stir well until it starts to smell incredible. add the cooked rice, stir, and serve.

+

based on recipes from veg recipes of india and padhu’s kitchen

+

The flavors are unbelievably good. Since it has so much flavor, it’s great served with something a little bland – we had vegan stewed red cabbage with red wine. The sourness of the rice went perfectly with the cabbage. One of my new favorite vegan side dishes!

khatta meetha baingan, improved recipe (sweet and sour indian eggplant)

If you love sweet and sour eggplant, but don’t want to deal with making the coconut and sesame paste for baghara baingan, this is a perfect bet.

I already have another khatta meetha baingan recipe on this blog. However, it’s more of a loose idea of a dish than an actual recipe. Here’s a new version (well, new to me). I found it on some website late at night – don’t remember where I got this from. I’ll keep looking…

– Roast a bunch of eggplants. Maybe 8 tiny “Asian eggplants” or 2 big purple ones. I used about 5 brinjals.
– Heat 2 T mustard oil in a skillet, or a teaspoon of black mustard seeds in 2 T neutral oil like coconut or canola.
– When sputtering, add 1 t whole cumin seed and 1 t whole fennel seed. Fry til sputtering.
– Add 3 dry chilis, a few curry leaves, and an onion. Fry til onion becomes translucent.
– Add 1 T garlic. Fry 1 min.
– Add 1 t turmeric, 2 t coriander, fry 1-2 mins.
– Add 2 tomatoes and some tamarind paste or tamarind water, to taste.
– Add the gutted roasted eggplant and simmer for twenty minutes.
– Add a sprinkle of sugar, to taste, and serve topped with fresh cilantro and/or plain yogurt with rice.

Super flavorful, healthy, and satisfying. Sweet but not too sweet, savory, spicy but not too spicy, and just as sour as you like it. Definitely one of my favorite ways to prepare eggplant.

Eggplant is so cheap and plentiful at the farmers’ market at this time of year – take advantage of it!