Indian Khana: Hara Moong Dal Tadka

Hara moong dal tadka or hari dal fry is the recipe that gave me confidence and declared me as a good cook. If I recall anything that I cooked first properly that is this hara (moong) dal and I still remember the 1st time I made this dal it was just too good that cooking became my department.

If you make hara dal properly then there's no side dish required either with rice or roti, the dal itself taste delicious and add some ghee to take the dal to all new levels. It's a easy recipe with few ingredients to jazz up the plain dal. I normally use kitchen king masala but you can also use garam masala, try not to skip kasoori methi it's add wonderful flavor to dal.

Moong dal taste awesome if eaten while its hot/warm, if you serving it later then warm it up again. Plain steamed rice, mango pickle and this hara dal is great combo & makes a satisfying meal. During week nights I make this dal and rice or roti that's all and it does work, during weekend I also include a dry side dish so along I made contrast with green (red) beets stir fry, some salad, mango pickle and little ghee - a fabulous weekend meal.

Hara Moong Dal Tadka Recipe

Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 50 Minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

Hara Moong Dal/Green Gram(Bean) - 3/4 Cup
Onion - 1 Large
Tomato - 2 Medium
Green Chilli - 4
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 2 tsp [Make your own ginger-garlic paste]
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Kitchen King Masala (or garam masala) - 1 tsp [Make your own Kitchen King Masala]
Crushed Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida/Hing - A Pinch
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Water - 2 1/2 Cups (or as needed)
Salt - To Taste
Chopped Cilantro/Hara Dhaniya - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak moong dal for minimum half an hour or more if you have time. You can also soak it over night.
2. Pressure cook for 4 whistles with 1 cup water and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder. Once pressure released mash cooked dal slightly.

3. Finely chop onion, tomato, cilantro and silt green chilli.
4. In a wok heat oil, add hing, cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add onion and green chilli and saute for a minute.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook until onion becomes soft.

6. Add red chilli, coriander seeds, remaining turmeric powders and stir well.

7. Add tomato, salt stir, cover and cook until tomato gets mashed and oil floats on top. Add crushed kasoori methi and mix everything well.

8. Add kitchen king masala and mix well, cook for a minute, add cooked dal.

9. Add 1 or 1 1/2 cup of water, adjust salt if required and bring it to a good boil. Simmer for 2 minutes off flame and garnish with cilantro.
~ Add more water if you prefer to have dal thin consistency.