Spicy Whole Green Moong

Ingredients:

Soak and cook:
Whole green moong - 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Stir fry:
Asafoetia - a pinch
Green chillies, finely chopped - 2-3 depending on level of spice required
Ginger-garlic paste (optional) - 1 tsp
Onion, finely chopped - 1
Tomato, coarsely chopped - 1
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil/ghee - 1-2 tbsp
Garnish (optional):
Lemon juice - 3-4 tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2-3 tbsp
Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp

Serves: 4-5
Cooking time: 20 min (prep time: 5 min, cook time: 15 min) [does not include soak time of about 8-12 hr]
Method:




1) Soak the whole moong in water (2 cups for every cup of moong) for 8-12 hr (see comments). Wash and drain.






2) Chop the tomatoes, onions, and green chillies. I didn't have any onions, and I used green/red peppers from Marin's plant.






3) Heat 1 cup water (we will need just enough water to cook the moong) with salt and turmeric. Add the moong and cover for ten minutes or until moong is cooked (while still mostly firm)






4) In the same pan, heat the oil/ghee and fry asafoetida and chillies. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir for two minutes.






5) Add the onions and fry until translucent, then add tomatoes and fry for a few minutes before mixing in the garam masala. Stir in the cooked moong and cook covered for 5-10 minutes on a medium flame (add some water if needed)






6) When cooked, garnish with lemon juice, coriander leaves, and grated coconut if desired. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.




Author: Sundar
Comments:
--This Maharashtrian dish is a variation on my aunt/mom's recipes. While it is adequate to soak it for 8 hrs, increasing this time results in the more nutritious sprouted version (see pictures).
--Lemon juice really improves the taste, so mix it in if you've got it!
--I used 3 large fresh green/red peppers from the plant Marin gave me, instead of the green chillies.