Mahatma's Mung Dahl

Mung beans haven't been a staple in my pantry up until now, but I've been hearing about them a lot lately. Not only are they a great source of protein, but they are known to be easier to digest than other kinds of beans. So I gave the Mahatma's Mung Dahl a try and I'm glad I did. I followed the recipe pretty closely, except that (as usual) I didn't bother with the toasting of the cumin seed and powder. I think next time I would add more carrot and celery but not include as much water - it turned out pretty soupy, which was fine with some brown rice to soak up the liquid, but I think 4 or 5 cups of water or vegetable stock would have been plenty.

Great flavor, and really quick and easy to throw together on a weeknight. I will definitely make it again - hopefully as part of a joint effort with Sophie and Dawn to create the Taj Mahal Indian Sampler Platter. :)

Mahatma's Mung Bean Dahl

6 c filtered water or vegetable stock
1 c mung beans (the recipe doesn't specify, but I used split mung beans)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, cubed
1/2 c. celery, thinly sliced
1 T. garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, peeled and minced
1 T. jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 T. cumin seed, toasted
1 t. cumin powder, toasted
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. sea salt, to taste
1/4 t. black pepper, to taste
pinch of cayenne
2 T. cilantro
1/3 c. shoyu, to taste

1. Rinse beans and place in a medium sized pot with water or stock on medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger and jalapeno, cook on medium heat until beans are soft, approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add shoyu and remaining ingredients, except cilantro, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add cilantro, remove from heat and enjoy.

Enjoy!

Liz