Moong Dal tadka / Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu

Moong Dal tadka / Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu is a North Indian dish where dal is cooked, tempered with various spices which gives flavour to the curry. It is the tadka / tempering that makes the dish flavourful and tasty. There are lot of versions to Moong dal tadka. However,  I blend two different versions and it came out well.

Moong Dal Tadka

Ingredients

• Moong Dal / Paasi paruppu - 250 gms 
• Onion - 1 large
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Green chillies - 2 slit
• Ginger - 2 inch piece thinly sliced
• Turmeric powder - 1/4th teaspoon
• Kasuri methi - 2 generous pinch
• Cilantro - 5 stems
• Salt - as required

Paasi paruppu Kuzhambu

To temper

• Cooking oil or  Ghee - 2 teaspoon
• Pearl onions / shallots - 5 chopped
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon (optional) 
• Cumin / Jeera - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic - 6 pods chopped
• Red chillies - 2 
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig 
• Green chillies - 2 finely chopped

Preparation

1. Take the moong dal, sliced onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger in a pressure cooker. Pour 2 cups of water, add turmeric and cook for 10 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release and mash it to a fine paste. If it is thick, pour some water and cook until it is thick. Add kasuri methi. 
2. To make tadka, take a small frying pan and keep it on low medium flame. Pour oil or ghee and when hot add mustard (optional) and let it splutter, add cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds. Add red chillies and sliced pearl onions, fry until it is light brown. Add chopped garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry until it the garlic turns a little brown. Be careful not to burn it. Stay on low medium flame.
3. Finally pour the tadka into the dal, add salt and mix well. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with plain hot rice along with any veg side dish. I served it with brinjal fry. 

Served with Rice and Brinjal fry

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