Green gram dal is a very mild dal which goes well with pretty much any vegatables or greens. This dal is used a lot in kerala food and hence in kanyakumari food which happens to be my native. Ofcourse any other dal can be used but the taste varies. This dal is my favorite and it goes well with plain rice or chappatti. The following recipe can be used with any other greens to get Spinach Dal, Collard Greens Dal, Turnip greens Dal, Methi dal, Radish greens dal, swiss chard dal, kale dal, methi dal (vendaya keerai) etc. I've tried with most of the greens and it all tastes good.
Ingredients
Mustard greens - 1 bunch (finely chopped)
Green gram (Moong) Dal - 1 cup
Onion - 1(finely diced)
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely minced)
Tomato - 1/2 (finely diced)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 5 leaves
Salt - to taste
Oil - 4 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tblsp
Method
1.Heat oil in a deep sauce pan and splutter mustard, dry red chillies and curry leaves.
2.Fry the onions and garlic until they begin to sweat.
3.Now add the green gram(moong) dal,chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, little salt and water.Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
4.In the meantime grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds to form a coarse paste and keep aside.
5.When the dal is half cooked, add the chopped mustard greens and cook for another 15 minutes or until the leaf becomes tender. Add more water as needed.
6.At this stage add the coconut paste, mix everything together and switch off.
Tips
- Adding coconut paste is optional as the curry tastes yummy even without the coconut. It just gives a south indian touch to the curry.
