Muger Dal

Description

 * Ethnicity - Bengali, East Indian
 * Type of meal - Party, Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

 * 1 cup yellow mung beans, picked, washed and drained
 * 1 bunch paalak (fresh spinach), finely chopped
 * 1 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
 * 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
 * 1 tej patta (bay leaf)
 * 2 tsp panch phoran mix (Bengali five spice mix)
 * 4 sukhee laal mirchi (whole dried red chiles)
 * 1 tsp laal mirch (red chili powder)
 * 1 tsp garam masala
 * ½ tsp. amchoor (mango powder)
 * salt to taste

Directions

 * 1) In a heavy bottom saucepan, saute the mung beans until a nice golden color. Now add 3 cups of water, the turmeric and the bay leaf. Bring the contents to a boil and simmer partially covered until the beans are soft. Feel free to add more water if needed.
 * 2) Now throw in the chopped spinach and red chili powder, cook for another 10 minutes.
 * 3) In a small frying pan, heat the ghee. When hot add the panch phoran and cook over a medium low flame until seeds splatter.
 * 4) Now add the dried whole red chilies. Cook until they are a nice brown but not burnt. Quickly pour this tempered oil over the daal.
 * 5) Take some of the daal in a small pudding bowl and mix the amchoor powder into it. Make sure to dissolve the powder in the daal before you add it back into the saucepan.
 * 6) Add the garam masala and stir. Heat for another few minutes. Serve hot with rice, bread and vegetables of your choice.