Yellow (Moong) Daal – A Basic Reminder of Home

I consider yellow daal to be comfort food. It’s simple and underrated but there’s so much nostalgia associated with yellow daal for me. Growing up, we would always have yellow daal with fried bhindi aloo (okra and potato) and rice or roti (Indian flatbread).

There’s a simplicity to yellow daal that I love; not too much “tarka” (spiced base) and yet it has a creaminess that leaves you feeling full and happy without any guilt of it being unhealthy.

As much as I LOVE to cook, I have always been intimidated by Indian recipes. I felt that the list of ingredients/masala were too long to remember. Not to mention the fact that many daals require a pressure cooker which has always freaked me out!

SO if you’re like me, I have good news! This daal DOES NOT need a pressure cooker; DOES NOT have a long list of masalas but is full of flavour!

Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

xoxo!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (200 grams) yellow/moong daal
1.3 Litres (roughly 6 cups) water
1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
salt to taste (roughly 1/2 tbsp)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rye)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chillies chopped finely
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
a few dry curry leaves (curry patha)
2 tbsp oil (I used organic grapeseed oil)
a handful of freshly washed and chopped cilantro

STEPS:

Step 1: Wash and soak the daal for at least one hour

Step 2: Strain daal and add to boiling water (1.3 Litres/6 cups) ***IMPORTANT – Remove the foam that collects as the daal is boiling****

Step 3: Add turmeric and salt to daal and let boil for about 15-18 minutes (until cooked)

Step 4: Once cooked, use a hand blender to blend the daal to obtain a soupy texture

Step 5: Add lemon juice

Step 6: In a separate saucepan (small); make a spice blend: add oil, asafoetida (hing), green chillies, cumin (jeera) seeds, mustard (rye) seeds and curry leaves (curry patha) and let it cook until the mustard seeds start to pop