Moong Dal

These savory lentils (commonly known in Bengla as DAL) are a delicious vegtarian dish to serve by themselves or if you choose too, with poultry such as chicken or fish. I snacked on this daily in my time in Bangladesh doing mission work. I was able to experience many delicious Bengali dishes and i'm doing my best to incorperate them back here. You'll enjoy this meal on a cold dreary day, or even as a lighthearted snack. Enjoy!

You'll need:
1/2 cup of moong dal (these can be picked up in the foreign food section at your grocery store
or I picked these up at my local Indian supermarket
1 small onion/chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 long green chili/chopped seeds removed
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoon curry (you may add more to taste)
1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)

You're going to want to boil the lentils until they are nice and tender. I soaked mine the night before in a huge pan of water)
Mash them till the beans become a rich thick paste. Add curry, as well as one cup of water, so the dal don't dry up. In a small pan, throw in the tablespoon of oil, mustard, cumin, and green chili. Add chopped onion and saute for a bit. (until onions run tranclucent) Pour in spicy mixture into pan if smashed lentils and stir it up. Continue to cook and stir for a bit and throw in a little salt to taste. Top with fresh cilatro (or coriander leaves) and eat it with your hands! This is the traditional way to eat Moong dal!