Whole Moong Dal Khichdi

Khichdi is a mixture of rice and pulses cooked together. It is traditionally served with raita, papad, kadhi (yogurt soup), pickle[d vegetable]s or even just ghee or yogurt. This variation uses whole green moong dal and is first cooked in a pressure cooker until the dal is soft.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Whole moong dal - 1 cup
Tomatoes, quartered - 2
Onion, finely chopped - 1 large
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Oil/ghee - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Cooking time: 30 min
Servings: 6-8

Method:
Mix the rice and dal with the tomato pieces in 6 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 6-7 whistles (about 30 minutes). In the meantime, heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add the onions and stir to coat with oil. After a minute, add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Cook until the onions start turning golden brown. Add the garam masala and mix well. After a minute or so, add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cook until the oil separates to the sides. Add more water (totaling up to 2 cups) and transfer to the cooker. Add more water if required (up to 2 cups, depending on how much liquid you'd like to have in the resulting khichdi). Cover the cooker and steam without the weight for 10 min or until you smell the aroma of the masalas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

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