Whole Moong Dal With Cauliflower And Carrots

          Dals or lentils are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet. When you cook the dals whole with the skin, they form a good source of fiber too. Sometimes when I cook dal, I add some vegetables to make it a complete meal with rice or rotis. Instead of cooking the vegetables with the dal, I saute them and add it at the end, this way they retain their crunchiness. Today's recipe uses whole moong dal (whole green gram), cauliflower and carrots, a healthy side dish..

Need To Have

• Whole Moong Dal - 1 cup
• Cauliflower - 1 small
• Carrots - 2
• Onion - 1 big chopped
• Tomato Puree - 5 tablespoons
• Grated Ginger - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic - 4 cloves chopped
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Ajwain Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Chopped Coriander - to garnish

Method
           Chop the carrots into medium size cubes and break the cauliflower into medium size florets and pressure cook the moong dal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Heat a little oil, saute the cauliflower and carrots with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt till done. Heat oil, add the mustard and cumin seeds, once the spluttering stops add the ajwain seeds to it followed by the onions, ginger and garlic, saute for 5 mins till the raw smell of garlic goes away. Now add the tomato puree, chilli and coriander powder, saute for few more mins, add the cooked dal with water ( about a cup), cook for 5 more mins. Finally add the cooked vegetables and the cumin powder, mix for a minute or two, garnish with the chopped coriander and serve it warm with either rotis or rice.

Sending it to Srav's Cooking Concepts for the CC - Spring Seasonal Food event,
                to Zesty South Indian Kitchen for the Hearth And Soul Blog Hop event,
                to Food Corner for the Midweek Fiesta event and
                to Cooks' Joy for Priya's Healthy Diet - Vegetarian Side Dishes event.

Note
If you soak the moong dal for a couple of hours, the cooking time is reduced.
Do not overcook the vegetables, they should retain a slight crunch, you can also roast them in the oven.