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Bhaja muger dal
Roasted moong dal with ginger
Bhaja muger dal (ভাজা মুগের ডাল): Bengali roasted moong dal with ginger, peas and a little ghee
Bengali households in Kolkata make bhaja muger dal on winter weekdays, and it is a fixture of the vegetarian bhog served at Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. The moong is dry-roasted in a heavy pan until it smells nutty, then cooked soft with ginger and green peas and finished with ghee, bay leaf and a whisper of sugar. The roasting gives it a toasty, almost sweet depth that plain moong dal never has. A portion gives about 21 g of protein from the moong and peas, for about 360 kcal. Serve it with rice and a fried vegetable such as begun bhaja. The most common mistake is roasting over too high a heat: the outside browns while the inside stays raw, and the dal tastes burnt and never softens evenly. Chef's tip: roast only until the dal is a couple of shades darker, pale gold, and you can smell it from the next room; stop the moment you see the first brown spots.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dal
- 11 ½ oz split yellow moong dal
- 5 cups waterhot
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ⅔ oz fresh gingergrated to a paste
- 4 oz green peasfresh or frozen
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 green chilliesslit
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 11 ½ oz split yellow moong dal in a dry, heavy frying pan over a medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 6–8 minutes, until it turns pale gold, smells nutty and a few grains have the odd brown speck. Tip it into a bowl at once so it stops cooking.
8 minStep 2: Rinse the roasted dal twice in cold water; it will foam a little. Put it in a pot with 5 cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ⅔ oz fresh ginger, bring to the boil and skim.
5 minStep 3: Simmer with the lid ajar for 20 minutes, until the grains are soft but most still hold their shape. Add 4 oz green peas, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and cook for 5 minutes more, until the peas are tender and the dal is the thickness of single cream.
25 minStep 4: In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tsp mustard oil over a medium heat. Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 dried red chillies and 2 green chillies and fry for about 30 seconds, until the cumin crackles and the bay leaves darken.
1 minStep 5: Pour the tempering over the dal, cover for a minute to trap the aroma, then stir and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bhaja muger dal take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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