Methi Dal

Dal is eaten in every region of India. No meal is complete without Dal. It can also be presented as a snack and mixed with all kind of vegetables and meat to give that twist to the dish which only dal can give! Sambhar and Haleem, are just a couple of well known dal combination dishes, which are well known but there are dozens other dishes from all quarters of Indian and Sri Lanka. 

This particular method brings together a fabulous combination of Meethi leaves and Dal. As I have already said in my introduction to Mrs.M, like so many other dishes that she has taught me, this version of dal also originates from Bihar. In fact we introduced this dal recipe at the launch of Banao aur Khao  evenings in Cardiff. It went down wonderfully. I am sure many in our community in Cardiff have started to make this dish rather than just serving tarka dal. 

Ingredients:

• Washed Moong Dal 2 Cups
• Salt 1 ½ tsf
• Haldi ½ tsf
• Fresh Fenugreek (Methi) 1 bunch
• Onion 1 small
• Ginger 1 inch
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Dry whole chilli 3 long
• Oil for cooking                1 tbsf
• Jeera 1 tsf
• Hing 1 pinch
• Ghee or oil (for tarka) 2 tbsf

Preparation:

1. Wash the Dal
2. Put it in a saucepan with 5cups of water, 1 ½ tsf salt and  ½ tsf of Haldi. Bring it up to boil and then reduce the heat and cook for approximately 20mins. The dal should be almost ready.
3. While the Dal is cooking remove the meethi leaves from its stem.
4. Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. 
5. Heat 1 tbsf oil in a frying pan and put the dried broken red chilli and stir it slightly.
6. Add the onion/garlic/ginger and brown this mix.
7. When the above mix is brown add Meethi leaves and cook for 5 mins.
8. Mix the Meethi mix in the almost fully cooked dal and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes
9. Make Tarka with Jeera, Hing and one whole dried red chilli. Brown the ingredients and when sizzling spread it on the Dal

The Dal is ready for serving.