Recipe- Desi Style Green Moong Sprouts Dal Fry

What more can I say about the Indian Dal that I have not said before! We Indians love our Dal which is probably the most sought-after dishes in the Indian cuisine. Lentils may have made a grand entry in the west but we have been consuming lentils since ages. Many of our dishes use lentils in some proportion. A handful could be added in tadka to give a crunch to the dish or it could be added in a stew like sambhar or rasam or kootu where lentils blend with veggies or a broth, they could also be used to make some delicious snacks that can be fried or steamed, you could use them to make crepes or pancake batter, or it could also be the main ingredient in a dish like the Indian Dal.

Ingredients

1 cup moong dal
1/2 cup masoor dal
1 cup moong sprouts
1 tbsp oil or ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 bay leaf
1 onion
1 jalapeno
4-5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp Dal Masala
salt as needed
sliced onions for garnish
handful of chopped cilantro for garnish
1 tbsp lemon juice optional

Method

* Soak moong dal and masoor dal in water for 30 minutes. Boil the soaked lentils in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot in salt + turmeric water.

* You can use uncooked or cooked moong sprouts in the recipe. If using raw, ensure that they have sprouted and then boil the moong along with the other lentils.

* Since I had cooked moong sprouts, I skipped this step. Once they are cooked, proceed with the next step. Heat oil or ghee (if you are not vegan) in a pan.

* Temper cumin seeds and once they crackle, add chopped cilantro, curry leaves and bay leaf.

* Fry this for 45 seconds and then add chopped onions, red or green jalapeno, minced garlic and crushed ginger.

* Saute all of this till the onions turn translucent. Then add chopped tomatoes along with salt.

* Cook it till the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Then add the sprouts, cooked lentils to the pan along with water and dal masala.

* Add more water if you need to. Mix it well and bring it to a boil.

* Since everything is already cooked, this should not take long.

* Once done, take it off the flame and garnish it with sliced onions and chopped cilantro.

* Indian Style Green Moong Sprouts Dal Fry is ready! Serve it as a soup or as a side to rice.