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Mariam’s Masoor Moong Daal

December 20, 2017 by Maryam Jillani 7 Comments

In November, I wrote about my love for Karachi and its food for TASTE and shared the recipe of my aunt’s masoor moong daal.

I grew up in Islamabad, and went to college in Lahore. It’s only recently that I began to visit Karachi for work, and became infatuated with its chaos and grit. My quick affection for Karachi however, did not really come as a surprise. I have always had a special place in my heart for its residents. Their easy confidence, cosmopolitanism, work ethic, and no-fuss attitude have always served as an important counterweight to the provincialism I found in my hometown. I have frequently looked to my Karachi friends and family for inspiration for the blog. See gujarati aloo (potatoes), baghara baingan, and gawar sabzi. More coming!

My young aunt from Karachi showed me how to prepare this mixed masoor moong daal that she learned from her Gujarati friends. The daal that I grew up eating was either green lentils (kaali daal) or simple red lentils (masoor daal) boiled with some turmeric and red chili powder. This mixed daal has more texture and flavor, thanks to the addition of tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and onion; and generous amount of kadi pata (curry leaves).

Read the full story about Karachi’s diverse kitchens here, and see recipe below.

masoor-moong-daal

masoor-moong-daal

Masoor Moong Daal

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Soak Time 6 hrs
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup of masoor daal red lentils
  • ¼ cup of moong daal mung bean, found in specialty Indian/Pakistani grocery stores
  • 1½ tsp crushed ginger
  • 1½ tsp crushed garlic
  • 8 kadi pata curry leaves found in specialty Indian/Pakistani grocery stores
  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced in half rings
  • 1 roma tomato roughly chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder or to taste preferably Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 2 green chilies diced
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 6 round whole red chiles found in specialty Indian/Pakistani grocery stores

Instructions
 

  • Wash the masoor daal and moong daal till the water runs clear. If using whole moong daal, soak overnight. I prefer to use split moong daal, which cooks faster.
  • Add lentils to a stockpot and add 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
  • Add crushed ginger and garlic, kadi pata, chopped onion, tomato, turmeric, and red chili powder, and green chili.
  • Bring heat to low and cover. Let daal cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Once the daal is ready, begin to get the tadka ready. Heat 1 to 2 tbsp. of oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop, add cumin seeds. Once the oil becomes aromatic, add whole red chilies.
  • After they have changed color slightly, pour the tempered oil on top of the dal. Serve.
Keyword Vegan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fatima Cooks

    March 01, 2020 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    I love Karachi. I am originally from there, but have rarely visited since I no longer have any family there. My chachi, also from Karachi, lived in a Gujerati community and often makes Gujerati inspired dishes including a daal very similar to this. I must try this

    Reply
    • pakistaneats

      March 02, 2020 at 2:44 am

      Thanks so much Fatima! Hope you like it x

      Reply
  2. Holly

    May 30, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    Hi there! I have a question. Are the round whole red chiles dried or fresh? Thanks!

    Reply
    • pakistaneats

      June 01, 2020 at 2:17 am

      Hi! Thanks for checking. These are dried chiles, they can be found in either South Asian or Central American grocery stores.

      Reply
  3. Asiya Qureshi

    November 19, 2020 at 9:24 am

    I think i forgot to add the salt to step number 3

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Chana Daal (Split Yellow Gram Daal) - Pakistan Eats says:
    March 12, 2020 at 8:18 am

    […] up eating in my home in Islamabad. It’s very different from the masoor ki daal or kaali daal or masoor mong daal featured earlier because it’s dry and had with a naan or chapati instead of […]

    Reply
  2. Mariam's Gujarati Aloo (Spiced Potatoes) - Pakistan Eats says:
    April 18, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    […] diverse culinary palette as a child than I was. She learned to make these spiced potatoes (and this masoor moong daal) not from her mother but from her Gujarati […]

    Reply

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About Me

Hi! I'm Maryam, a food writer and enthusiastic home cook, excited to share traditional but accessible Pakistani recipes. Read More…

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