Moong Dal & Red Lentils Recipe - 1/3/2014

Moong Dal & Red Lentils Friday Recipe 1/3/2014

My sister Danielle gave me Madhur Jaffrey, Indian Cooking cookbook one year for my birthday.  Inside, she marked her favorite recipes and sent along the Indian spices so I could dive right in!  It was a wonderful gift that we enjoy to this day.
Today's featured recipe Moong Dal (split mung beans) and Red Lentils is one of Danielle's favorite dishes in the book.
Indian dishes are so good for you because they use so many powerful herbs and spices that are beneficial to our digestion, at reducing inflammation and have anti-tumor properties.  And as you know, I am always looking for these qualities in food :)
This recipe is a simple and versatile dish to have on hand.  You can serve this over a salad, over potatoes, basmati rice or any meat or vegetable dish.  Start your day off right and have it for breakfast with sauteed garlic and spinach with a poached egg!  Eating a good protein meal at breakfast is shown to reduce sugar cravings during the day :)

Lentils and mung beans can be used in many dishes, soups and stews.  They are high in fiber making them a heart healthy, cholesterol lowering powerhouse!
For the best price, Indian spices and herbs are best purchased at your local Indian store, health food store or online.  The ingredients then should be stored in a air tight container, like a Mason or Ball jar and stored in a cabinet away from light and heat.  Buy the smallest amount you can.  They will last a long time and are great to have on hand when you need them.

I hope that you enjoy making this recipe just as much as I do. 
Be creative and have fun!  Taste as you go and adjust to your liking. 

Let me know what you think :)

Ingredients
1 Cup Moong dal (split mung beans)
1 Cup Red split lentils
5 Cups water
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt
4 Tbls Olive oil or ghee
*Generous pinch of ground asafetida
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 - 5 Dried, Hot red chilies
1 Large red onion, peeled and cut into very thin half moons

Instructions
Combine mung beans and lentils in a bowl and rinse several times then drain.
Add 5 cups water, mung beans, lentils and turmeric to a heavy pot and bring to a simmer.  (Do not let it boil over.)
Cover the pot but leaving the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for 40 - 50 minutes or until they are tender, stirring a few times during cooking.
When the beans and lentils are tender, add the salt and leave covered on very low heat, until the onions are done.

Meanwhile in a saute pan on high heat add oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the ground asafetida, then the cumin seeds.
Let the cumin seed sizzle for a few seconds, then add the red chilies.
As soon as they turn dark red, put in the onions.
Stir and saute on medium-high heat until the onion turns brown, 10 minutes or so.  You may have to adjust the heat so the onions don't burn. 

When the onions are done, incorporate them into the pot with the mung beans and lentils and cover tightly.
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NOTE:
* The red chilies can be sliced very thin and added as a garnish if you like the heat or they can be discarded before plating.
* The original recipe calls for 1 small onion, but I enjoy onions in this dish so I make it with 1 large onion.
* If you don't want to buy the Asafetida, use 2 cloves of garlic instead.

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Happy New Year!
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