Lentils are easy to cook. They are great for protein too. Fills your tummy and helps you sleep better.Simple food can help you survive harshest of lockdowns. It also makes you stronger. Lentils have been around for ages. Most people think about yellow dal tadka and dal makhni when you order out. However, there are a lot of other lentil recipes you can cook. Some lentils are made with combining few lentils like the tridali dal where 3 lentils are cooked together and Panchmel dal which is served in dal bati. Other interesting recipes are whole green gram and moong dal chilka.
Both of them are easy recipes and serve as a complete meal with rice or roti on a weeknight.
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Whole moong needs more time in soaking. However chilke wali mung daal is easy to cook anytime. It is a perfect way to end a hectic day. Cooks while you unwind. Just make some basmati rice to go with it. You can also pair it with some roti. Dinner is served people! These days I just want to cook minimal in the kitchen. Especially on a weeknight. Work life has come home and it has become even more hectic. If you have people coming over, make some jeera aloo to go with it. I love some potatoes as a side. Generally, saayi dal is served with rice or roti. A big basket of fried rice khichiya, rice papad, fryums, potato chips & papad also compliments it.
Ingredients
- Split green lentils
- Onion
- Tomato
- Ginger-chilly
How to make moong dal chilka recipe?
- In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add chopped chilly and ginger.
2. Add the onions. Let it cook until onions are pink. 
3. Now, add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook until they soften. 
4. Add the spices and let it cook for 5 mins. 
5. Add the lentils and mix well. 
6. Add water and pressure cook until 3 whistles. 
7. Serve hot with rice or paratha.
Read the recipe here
Moong dal chilka
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup split green lentils soaked for 30 mins
- 2 cups water
- 1 onion small
- 2 tomatoes medium
- 2 tablespoon oil
Tempering
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon green chilly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add the ginger, chopped chilly and mix well
- Now add the chopped onions. Let it cook until onions are pink.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook until they soften.
- Add the spices and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Now add the mung dal and mix well.
- Add water and pressure cook until 3 whistles
- You may garnish optionally with chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Variations
You can adjust the heat of the lentils according to your taste. Add more red chili powder if you like it spicy. If you like it bland, use paprika instead of red chilli powder. Add a teaspoon garam masala if you like it. You can also cook whole green moong lentils this way. If you are a vegetarian, you can use ghee in tempering or add it in the end. Onions take longer to cook and might stick to pressure cooker if you use less ghee.
There is another way to cook this lentils. Just add a handful of it to rice and let it come to a boil with some salt.Moong ware chawar never disappoints. I usually make this when I m not cooking lentils separately. It is an easy khichdi which goes well with any sabzi like fried eggplants or taryal vangan, or raita and some jeera aloo. You can just give your toddler this recipe recipe with some yogurt. Bubs love something soft. Best part is it is a complete meal. Add some tomatoes if you like while cooking.Gives it a twist.
Equipment
You can also use slow cooker or instant pot to make this lentil recipe. You can also make it in a deep sauce pan. However, it will take much longer to cook in a saucepan.
Storage
Left over lentils can be stored in a box in a refrigerator for 2-3 days. However, it is best to eat it fresh or the next day max.
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