This recipe is great served with Prana Pancakes, Dosa Style. It can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Recipe of the Day:
Basic Lentil Soup (Yellow dal), our style
This recipe is Vegan and Gluten Free
Total Prep Time (not including shopping) 30 minutes
You will need:
From the Indian Store
Yellow (split) mung dal—Available at Indian and Asian stores
Fresh curry leaves—Indian store or Lenny’s produce at 105th and Greenwood
Rasam Powder –A pre-packaged spice blend
Hing or Asafoetida--Get this at your local organic coop instead of the Indian store if you are gluten free. The Indian store kind has wheat flour in it.
Cumin Seeds – also available in organic store bulk sections
Black Mustard Seeds – also available in organic store bulk sections
Brown Coriander Seeds – also available in organic store bulk sections
From your local organic store
One zucchini--organic of course
A tomato or two -–also organic
Turmeric – definitely buy this in your local coop because the Indian store kind is usually cut with yellow powder, it is not authentic.
Method:
In a medium pot, rinse a cup of yellow mung dal several times until the water runs clear. Then add 4-5 cups water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn it onto low and simmer for 20 minutes. Set the timer. For a complete meal, rinse some rice and set it to cook the same way as the dal. The two together make an excellent protein.
While the dal and rice are cooking, you can go away for a while and relax or meditate. J If you need more time for your relaxation process, set the timer accordingly!
When you come back, check on the dal. It should be soft through and it can be mushy. It takes just as great. If it’s cooking slowly turn up the heat a little during your next process. The rice will be thoroughly done after 20 minutes. You can just turn it off.
In a skillet, heat some oil of your favorite type for cooking. Coconut is really healthy (even when heated) but everyone has their own favorite. We like the taste of sunflower oil in this dish. When the oil is heated, add a half teaspoon of each of these spices in this order:
Mustard
Cumin
Hing/Asafoetida (not a half teaspoon, just a pinch)
Coriander powder (you can grind it easily in a coffee grinder, but have a separate one for your spices or your dal will taste like coffee!) also fine to grind in a mortar and pestle.
Rasam powder
Make sure you don’t overheat these. Turn off the heat.
Puree the tomato/tomatoes with a handful of curry leaves, about 10 or 20, in a little water. Turn on the skillet again till it’s hot and add the tomato mixture so it sizzles. Bring that to a boil and add it to the dal which has cooked. Blend it together and add salt. After it is cooked and you have taken it off the heat, wash the zucchini and pick off the little brown end with your fingernail or a knife. Then, grate the zucchini, raw, directly into the pot of dal. If you have a Microplane it works great for this, but watch your fingers!
Serve it in large bowls over rice. The zucchini will “melt” in the heat of the pot and go down easy, yet still retain some enzymes. Even our son loves it. Enjoy!