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Moth/Matki Sukha Sabzi (Sautéed Moth Bean Vegetable)

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Dals are an integral part of an Indian meal, and we have a variety of them. With the abundance of dals and the many ways to season them, we could have a different dal every day of the month and not repeat a recipe!

One of my favorites is a small brownish bean, rather like a whole green moong bean, called moth (pronounced moat) or matki. These lentils are highly nutritious and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

This particular recipe uses sprouted moth beans. It makes a great anytime snack or a side dish to a meal. Sprouted beans can also be used in salads.

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Moth/Matki Sukha Sabzi (Sauteed Moth Bean)

Prep Time 2 days
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 days 20 minutes
Servings 4
Moth/matki lentils make a great anytime snack or a side dish to a meal. Sprouted beans can also be used in salads.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup moth beans
  • 1 medium yellow or red onion (chopped)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
  • ⅛ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp amchur powder (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) (for garnish)

Instructions 

To Prepare the Dal

  • Sort the moth beans clean of any grit.
  • Pour into a medium bowl or pot. Wash the moth about 4 times, rubbing the beans gently between your fingers.
  • Add 4-5 cups of water. It should be enough to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 4 hours. Strain the moat and wrap them in a moist muslin/cheesecloth. A clean kitchen cloth will also do.
  • Now, put the wrapped beans into the bowl or pot. Sprinkle water over them, cover them, and let them sit for two days. Be sure the cloth is kept moist so that the moth can sprout.
  • After two days, they should be sprouted. Not all of them will sprout sometimes, but that is fine. If half are still not sprouted, leave them for another day to continue sprouting.

To Cook

  • Lightly rinse the beans and set aside.
  • Peel and dice onions reasonably small. About ¾ cup is good.
  • Place a medium pan or skillet on medium heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
  • Add the chopped onion.
  • Sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent and the edges start to turn golden.
  • Now add all the powdered spices and salt. Sauté for 30 seconds. Don't let the spices burn.
  • Add the sprouted moth beans. Stir gently so the beans are coated with the spices.
  • Add ¾ cup of warm or hot water.
  • Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft but not mushy.
  • Sprinkle with lemon juice or amchur powder and gently stir the dal.
  • Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the chipped cilantro.                

Notes

This dish can be used as a stand alone snack, a roti side dish, or a wrap.
For salad, toss with some chopped onion, tomato, and cucumber.
To use as a chaat (street food): Toss with boiled potatoes and sprinkle some chaat masala over it with a drizzle of sont (sweet and tangy tamarind sauce).
If you have a bean sprouter, you can use that to sprout the moth.
Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: moth, sabzi, sprouts
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In Main Dishes

Channa Dal Curry (Split Chick Pea Curry)

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This dal curry is made out of the split chickpea (Bengal gram) with the husk removed. I sometimes use this lentil to make a simple soup by seasoning it with sauteed onions, bay leaf, turmeric, and cumin powder.

This dal was a must every time Biryani was fixed at home. To make the dal tastier, Mom would have Cook add the bones left over from the large cut of meat that was chopped up for the Biryani. Since I use boneless meat for the Byriani, I  add beef broth to give it a meatier taste, but it also tastes perfectly good just by adding water.

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Channa Dal Curry (Split Chick Pea Curry)

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6
A delicious healthy, nutritious lentil dish that you can serve as a main dish or side dish. It goes perfectly with Biriyani, any kind of pilaf, plain boiled rice, or flat bread.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried split chickpea dal (Sort for stones and grit, clean, and rinse. Soak the chickpeas for half an hour)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 medium onions (chopped fine)
  • 1 medium green Serrano chili (chopped very fine)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1 8 oz can tomato sauce)
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste (preferably fresh)
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste (preferably fresh)
  • salt (to taste)
  • 4 cups water (or more, depending on the amount of gravy you want)
  • 1 tbsp fresh green coriander (finely chopped for garnish)

Whole Spices

  • 1 large black cardamom
  • 2 medium Bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 5 peppercorns

Masalas

  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp tumeric powder
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less, according to your taste)

Instructions 

Preparation

  • Sort for stones and grit, and clean, and rinse the chickpeas.
  • Soak for half an hour.

To Cook

  • Heat oil in a 4-6 quart pot over medium heat.
  • Add the whole spices and then add the onions. Sauté until the onions are ¾ brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste, then add all the masalas and stir a few minutes until fragrant. About 1-2 minutes.  
  • Add the chickpeas, water, and tomato paste. Partially cover and cook until nice and tender. Approximately 45 minutes.
  • When nearly done, mash some of the lentils against the side of the pot to make a thicker gravy.
  • Cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Pour into a serving dish and garnish with about a tablespoon full of fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. You can substitute some of the water with vegetable, beef or chicken broth. Add additional water if necessary to get a thick soupy consistency.
2. You can also serve this dal with Biryani, any kind of pilaf, plain boiled rice, or flat bread.
3. You can boil the dal separately and then add it to the curry masala and let it simmer for 15 minutes to absorb all the flavors.
4. I like to use a pressure cooker to hasten the process.  
Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Bengal gram, channa dal, curry
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In Main Dishes

Black Bean Dal (Turtle Beans, Frijoles Negros, or Caviar Criolla )

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I had never tasted large black beans (aka Turtle beans, Frijoles negros, or caviar Criolla) until I came to the USA. These beans are a staple in Central and South America. When I first saw them on the supermarket shelves, I was intrigued. Then I got to taste them in salads and Mexican food. I decided to give it a try cooking it with an Indian twist!

Although you can use the canned variety, I prefer to buy the raw beans and soak them overnight.

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Black Bean Dal (Turtle Beans, Frijoles Negros, or Caviar Criolla)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Overnight 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6
Giving traditional black beans an Indian twist! Packed with flavor and nutrients—an Indi-Mex creation.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups black beans

Tadka (Tempering)

  • ½ large onion (chopped relatively fine (approximately 3/4cup) )
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 large tomato, chopped (or 2 tbsp of tomato paste mixed with 2 tbsp of water)
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (or to your taste)
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil

Garnish

  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro (Garnish2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro1-2 tablespoons ghee or butter)
  • 2 tbsp desi ghee or butter

Instructions 

  • Pick, sort, clean, and rinse the beans.
  • Place in a 6 quart pot and cover with water.
  • Soak the beans overnight.
  • The next day, drain and rinse again.
  • Place the beans into a medium pot with 5 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt.
  • Cover and bring the beans to boil on high heat.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the beans are tender. About 40-45 minutes. (Or 10-15 minutes in a pressure cooker or Instapot).
  • If the water evaporates while cooking the beans on the stove, you can add some hot water.
  • Ensure the beans are covered with at least two inches of water while cooking.
  • As soon as the beans are cooked, turn off the heat and prepare the tadka (tempering).

Tadka (Tempering)

  • In a frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions over medium heat until 3/4 brown, approximately 7 minutes.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and the coriander, cumin, and chili powders. Stir for a minute and then add the tomatoes. Stirring occasionally until the tomato starts to curl and the moisture starts to evaporate. Approximately 3-4 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the garam masala.
  • Pour the tadka into the boiled black beans and stir a few times. Add a little water to the tempering pan to scrape all the brown goodness sticking to the pan. Pour that back into the pot. 
  • Set the pot back on the stove and cook for another 5 minutes so that the masala is nicely absorbed.
  • Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro.
  • Add a tablespoon of desi ghee or butter to enhance the flavors. 
  • Serve with plain boiled rice or a pilaf. It also goes well with flatbreads or parathas. I enjoy it with a plain cumin pilaf or cumin-carrot pilaf.                       

Notes

As with most Indian meals, you can add a vegetable or meat dish to make a complete Indian meal, but it is filling by itself.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Mexican
Keyword: black bean, channa dal, Indi-Mex
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Dal Tadka

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Dal Tadka is one of the favorite dals to be found at dhabas (roadside restaurants) along with ma sabat dal. The spicy tadka along with the ghee or butter or both makes it special. Whenever Cook was sick or on vacation and I was working late at the airport, my husband would pick up one of the dals along with tandoori rotis.  It was always a treat as anyone who has tasted dhaba food will tell you. In spite of the visibly unhygienic look of the dhaba, we would sometimes pick up dals or rotis hoping the heat of the fire would kill all germs! Dal Tadka is traditionally a North Indian recipe and is enjoyed with roti or any kind of flatbread. I like it with rice. Once you serve any of the traditional relish, pickles, yogurt, and papads with the dals, it becomes a complete meal.

Though normally made with toor dal  (ar-har/pigeon peas, today  I am fixing it with a combination of toor dal and masoor dal (red lentils).

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Dal Tadka (Spicy Tempered Lentils)

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 6
A spicy, healthy lentil soup packed with nutrients and proteins.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup toor dal
  • 1 cup masoor dal
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
  • 6 cups water

Tadka (Tempering) - Step 1

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped fine)
  • 3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1½ tbsp garlic and ginger paste
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ⅛ tsp garam masala (more or less to your taste)
  • ½ tsp chili powder (more or less to your taste)
  • 2 tsp Kasturi methi (optional)

Tadka (Tempering) for Garnish - Step 2

  • 2 tbsp desi ghee
  • ¼ tsp asafetida (heeng)
  • ¾ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 small whole dry red chilies (If you split them in half, the seeds are going to fire up the tadka so be careful if you do not want the lentils too spicy, chili hot! If you prefer, you can use a little red chili powder instead of the whole dry red chilies—all to your taste!)

Instructions 

To Prepare

  • Pick and clean the dals of any debris.
  • Rinse in fresh water several times to get rid of any grit.
  • Soak the Toor dal for at least 45 minutes and the masoor dal for 30 minutes. This will cut the cooking time, but you can skip this if you do not mind it simmering on the stove longer.   

To Cook

  • Add the dals and the rest of the ingredients above into a 6-quart pot and bring to boil on medium heat. Lower the heat a bit, partially cover, and simmer for 35-40 minutes till nearly done. Remember not to cover the pot full as dals tend to expand while cooking and over boil.  Any froth that forms on top can be removed.
  • If the water seems to dry during cooking, feel free to add more hot water. I say hot water as it does not interrupt the cooking process. You should be left with about 4 cups of dal, not too runny and not too thick unless it is your preference. Set aside.

Tadka (Tempering) - Step 1

  • Heat oil in a sauté or saucepan on medium heat.  
  • Add the onions and saute for  4-5 minutes until it starts to brown.
  • Now add the spice powders, stir for a minute, and then add the chopped tomatoes. Let it cook, occasionally stirring until the oil starts to surface.
  • Pour into the cooked dal. Add a little hot water to the pan and be sure to scrape off the brown bits and add to the pan.
  • Set the dal pot back on the stove and let simmer for 5-10 minutes to absorb all the tadka flavors.
  • Pour into a serving dish.

Tadka (Tempering) for Garnish - Step 2

  • Heat the ghee on medium heat in a small saucepan.
  • Add the red chilies and give them about a minute to darken in color.
  • Add the asafetida (heeng) and immediately after that the cumin seeds. Give it 30 seconds and then add the chilies (or and powder). Stir for 15 seconds and pour it over the center of the dal in the dish.  
  • Serve with rotis or any flat bread or rice accompanied with any of the usual arrays of Indian pickles, relish, raitas, plain yogurt, or papads.  
Course: Main Course, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: dals, lentils, toor dal

–Photo by Priyadharshan Saba on Unsplash

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Dal Rusum (Pepper Water)

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Sunday was our day for Pepper Water, a South Indian dish called Dal Rusum. Mama being from the south and Father from the North, coupled with the fact that we traveled all over the Indian subcontinents as Military brats, gave us a whole range of Indian cuisine to sample. Further, my husband being in the Indian Air Force enhanced that culinary adventure further for me.

Rusum was one of our favorite meals growing up. Cook would fix a whole lot of it under Mama’s tutelage. It was served with plain boiled rice and pepper chops. The combination was just plain yummy!

When fixing rusum, be sure to have two 5-6 quart pots and a sieve handy to strain the rusum. Also keep a large skillet or frying pan nearby for tempering. You will need them when boiling the lentil and when tempering it.

Cooking rusum can be tricky when making it the first time. To make things easier for you, have all your ingredients ready before you start. Separate the ingredients in steps 1-4. It will make things less confusing for you.

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Dal Rusum (Pepper Water)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Rusum (Pepper Water) is a South Indian dish made from crushed pepper, tamarind, lentils, and spices.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups toor/arhar dal (pigeon peas)
  • 1 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 heaped tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 small pod garlic (or 8 large flakes)
  • 20 whole peppercorns
  • 1½ tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 3 cups fresh cilantro (loosely packed cups)
  • 2 medium dried red chilies (broken into bits)
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 8 curry leaves (add more less to taste)

Instructions 

Step 1: Preparing the Dal Water

  • Boil the dal in 6-7 cups of water with salt and turmeric until the dal is tender. Approximately 35-40 minutes.
  • Strain the dal through a sieve, pouring the dal liquid into another large pot. Set strained dal aside.

Step 2: Adding the Tamarind Paste

  • Add the tamarind paste to the dal liquid. Taste for tartness and salt. It should be tangy but not sour. Bring to boil for about 5-10 minutes. Turn heat off.

Step 3: First Tempering / Tadka  for Dal Water

  • Coarsely grind the garlic flakes, cumin, fresh green cilantro, pepper corns, and turmeric powder. You can use your chopper, blender, or pestle.
  • Heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a fairly large saucepan or skillet.
  • Add the coarsely ground mixture and sauté for about a minute or until you can smell the aroma. It doesn't take long! Make sure to stir it often, so it does not burn.
  • Pour this into the dal water. Put the pot back on stove and return to boil. Let it boil for about 10 minutes.
  • Now strain the water again into the other empty pot, making sure to squeeze all the juice out of the tadka mixture so the essence of it is not lost. Your rusum is ready for the second tempering.

Step 4: Second Tempering of the Rusum

  • Heat oil, and add ¾ teaspoon of mustard seeds. Be careful, as they splutter. Now add the 2 dry red chilies and the fresh curry leaves. Stir for about 10 seconds and then pour it over the pepper water.

Tempering / Tadkafor the Dal

  • Same as the rusum. Heat the oil and add the remainder of the mustard seeds, red chilies, and curry leaves. Stir for about 10 seconds and then pour over the dal. Toss gently into the dal.
  • Serve the rusum/pepper water and dal along with meat pepper fry and plain boiled rice.

Notes

To make your own tamarind paste: Take a golf-sized lump of freshly peeled tamarind, place in a cup of warm water, then extract the tamarind juice by squeezing the pulp out into a bowl, and then strain the thick juice.
Since different brands of Tamarind vary in tartness, start with a little less than the tamarind called for. If it’s not tangy enough for your taste, then adjust to your liking. If by some chance it gets too sour, don't panic. Just boil a half cup more of the lentil and add it to the Rusum.
I now prefer to add the strained dal back into the rusum after I strain the first tadka. That way, I do not have to temper the dal separately.
You may want to set the table with soup bowls and spoons for easier handling of the pepper water and rice.
You can also drink this as a spicy soup-especially when you have a cold or recovering from a bout of flu. The tanginess, garlic, cilantro and pepper takes care of any residual yukiness !! I remember mom used to have Cook fix it anytime we were recovering from being sick. It tasted so good!
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Keyword: pepper, rusum, tamarind

 

 

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In Main Dishes

Dals (Lentils)

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One of my favorite meals is dal, plain boiled rice and pickle. While growing up, Mama had different dals for each day of the week. Each dal had its own seasonings, and we children had our own favorite dal.

Dals (including the larger legumes and beans) are a staple in the Indian diet. They are easy to prepare and add protein to vegetarian fare. The dals are mostly boiled with ginger and garlic and then tempered or seasoned (called Tadka, Baghar, or Chaunk) depending on which part of India you are raised. Dals taste great spooned over rice or eaten with rotis or any other flat bread.

I remember our Peace Corps friends, back in the 60s, said they survived on dal and rice until they got used to the other spicy food. There were no fancy restaurants in the villages and small towns where they worked, and with their meager salaries, lentils were cheap, wholesome and easy to prepare.

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Dals (Lentils)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Dals are a staple of Indian diet and are packed with protein and nutrients.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils of choice
  • 4 cups water (or 6-7 cups, depending on dal)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (chopped finely)
  • 1 whole green Serrano chili (slit half-way)
  • 1 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

For Tadka / Tempering

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 medium tomato (finely chopped, optional)
  • ½ onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (optional, or to your taste)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Instructions 

  • Sort and clean any grit in the dal. Rinse well. A friend, Lilani who is a fantastic gourmet chef, suggested washing and rinsing through a strainer so that any little bits of grit get washed away. But make sure you sort through the dal so you don't have any tiny stones that can crack someone's tooth!
  • Ina deep saucepan or cooking pot, add the dal, chopped garlic, fresh chopped ginger, whole Serrano chili or a whole dried red chili, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
  • Add water and boil until it resembles a thick soup.
  • Stir every 15 minutes. Initially, the scum(froth) will rise to the top, you can remove it with a spoon. Half cover the pot with a lid so that some steam escapes and the dal water does not overflow.
  • Cooking time will vary from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the size and type of lentil.
  • Set aside and use any of the following ways to temper the dals.

Basic Tadka / Tempering for All Lentils

  • Heat oil in a small pan.
  • Add onions and sauté them until half browned. About 4-6 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes (if you like). Once they start to soften and curl, in about 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and add the spice powders. Stir a minute or two and pour over the cooked dal.
  • Stir the dal and let the spices cook for another 3- 5 minutes to absorb the flavors of the tadka. Turn off the heat and let the dal rest for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the dal into a deep dish and garnish with chopped green Cilantro.
  • Serve with cooked white rice and a vegetable or a spicy meat dish and pickle.
  • The lentils are poured over the rice. If you are eating it with roti, flatbreads or bread, then pour the lentils into individual cup-sized dishes for easy dipping or the use of a spoon.

Notes

You can vary the seasoning by eliminating the onions or tomatoes and just season it with the spices.
I use different seasonings for different lentils, as you will see when you check my other dal recipes, but there are no hard and fast rules. The lentils should be the texture of a hearty soup, blended but not mushy.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian, Vegetarian
Keyword: dals, lentils
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