Daily Random Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- 200 g / 7 oz moong dal (green lentils)
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- A few curry leaves
- Salt
Spice Paste
- 50 g / 2 oz fresh coconut, roughly chopped
- 1/4 t cumin seeds
Wash the moong dal thoroughly and set aside to drain. To make the spice paste, place the coconut and cumin seeds in a grinder with 225 ml / 8 fl oz or water and process for 1 minute. Set the paste aside.
Half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the green chilli and some salt then the dal. Cook for 15 minutes or until the dal is very tender. Drain off any excess water, leaving the dal in the pan – you want the dal to be dry, thick and sticky, almost like mashed potato.
Add the coconut mixture to the cooked dal and stir well. Place over a low heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the curry leaves and stir until well blended.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and serve the dal straight away; do not try to reheat or serve the dal a later stage, as the curry will become too starchy and thick if left standing.