Moong Dal (Split Green Gram) Soup

Introduction:
I know I've uploaded many many dal recipes onto Hopchefs, but this one was by far the tastiest soupy dal I've made, so it deserves a mention. In this recipe, we will first fry/season the dal and then proceed to pressure cook the hell out of it until soft. It's all done in the cooker, using it like a wok when frying, then sealing it up for softening the dal.

Ingredients:
Moong dal - 1 cup
Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 2 med
Onion, chopped - 1 med
Ginger, chopped fine - 2" piece
Garlic, chopped fine - 5-6 pods
[you can replace the above with 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste]
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Hing (asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Tomato, chopped - 1 large or 3 small
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 4 cups

Servings: about 6
Time: 30-45 min

Method:
Wash the dal and set aside to soak. In the meantime, heat the oil on a medium flame in the cooker. Add cumin seeds. When they sputter, add the onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sautée until the onions are translucent and the garlic starts to turn brown. Add the tomato pieces, hing, turmeric and salt and fry for a few minutes. Now mix in the red chili powder. Cook for a few more minutes. Now drain the dal and add it to the cooker. Mix well and add four cups of water. Cover the cooker and place the weight on top. Cook for about 30 minutes or until you can smell the fragrance of the cooked dal. This recipe requires that you overcook the dal so it is soft. Just make sure the gas is never higher than medium so it doesn't start to burn at the bottom due to the direct heat. Turn off the stove. When the pressure has reduced to normal, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and season with more salt if required. Serve hot as soup or with chapatis and/or rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan