Simple Green Mung Dhal

While doing my undergraduation, I had some north-indian post grad friends who made the most delectable dhals each night for dinner. Bhalla, a Punjabi, would make dhal parathas where he would knead leftover dhal into the chapathi dough, give us spoonfuls of the sweet pickles his mother made and also make this smashing, super simple dhal with whole green mung. At that time in my life, i was the least bit interested in cooking and never cared to observe how anyone made anything or even talk about what goes in....

But later, when I wanted to duplicate this dhal made by Bhalla, i tried several methods by adding chopped onions and tomatoes with the usual masalas, then only onions and so on.. but it never really matched his dhal. Finally, one day I limited myself to just chilli powder and salt and the end result was exactly how I remembered it... My husband loves this as well and making dhal couldn't be simpler.

SIMPLE GREEN MUNG DHAL

Ingredients:

Whole Green Mung beans - about 1 cup
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp or more to taste
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 to 2 tsp

Method:
1) Pressure cook Green Mung beans till soft with sufficient water.
2) Make a paste of chilli powder and salt with some water.
3) Heat oil and add the chilli powder and salt paste, and stir.. after just one minute or so (ensure the paste doesn't burn), add the cooked beans and sufficient water. Let this simmer for abt 5-10 minutes or till thick enough. Delicious dhal is ready with minimal ingredients and time.