I recently took a 10 day trip with family out of state. Whenever I travel I do my best to stick to my routines and care for my body, but I also know how important it is to be FLEXIBLE and not stress about things that I can’t control. With my diet, I have to be REALLY flexible, because being on the road just doesn’t allow for nearly the same kind of exquisite culinary care I usually take for myself, especially when trying to go with the flow with other people!
So when I get home, I usually crave the simplest, healthiest, easiest to digest foods there are. Dahl is one of my go-tos.
There are lots of ways to make dahl, and various small legumes you can make it with.I have another recipe for a delicious Red Lentil Curry Dahl, but in the middle of summer that recipe can be a bit too heating. Split yellow mung (or moong) beans are considered one of the most healing foods in ayurveda. That’s because when they are split, well cooked and spiced right, they are very nourishing and easy to digest. (Unsplit ones are green and harder to digest for most people but awesome for sprouting!) They are also high in protein and many vitamins and minerals including manganese, phosphorous, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B6, cobalamin and magnesium. They are a good source of fiber, folate, folic acid, and antioxidants. They are anti-inflammatory, good for the eyes and skin, and both helpful for weight loss as well as in building bones. Eating them helps lower blood pressure, balance hormone production, and may help lower blood sugar levels.
Here’s what I made on my first day back from traveling that really hit the spot!
Simple Mung (Moong) Dahl
Ingredients:
1 cup split yellow mung (moong) beans, soaked overnight or most of the day and rinsed
2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
1/2 teaspoong ground turmeric
1/2 chopped onion or 1 shallot
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 inch piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped (LOVE THIS TOOL FOR DEALING WITH GINGER!)
4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt or himalayan salt (or to taste)
Optional chopped veggies such as sweet potatoes, peppers, carrots, greens.
Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, ghee, squeeze of lime, chopped avocado
Directions:
Start by warming the oil or ghee in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
Add the onion, and once it as softened, add the turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and ginger, and stir until it browns but not burns.
Then add the soaked, rinseed mung beans and water and stir.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a moderate simmer. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to see if it needs more water.
Uncover and add the salt to taste. Continue to cook if necessary, stirring occasionally, until mung beans are soft enough to not crunch when you eat it. The thickness is up to you and you can use more and less water to achieve a more soupy or thicker consistency. Turn it off and let it rest for 10 minutes. (I like to add some cilantro here so it wilts).
Optionally, you can add any veggies you like. Hard root veggies like sweet potatos can go in after about 15 minutes of cooking, carrots and peppers can go in after 30 minutes, while fresh tomatoes or green can go in right in the last few minutes of cooking.
Serve on its own or over white basmathi rice, and top with a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro, spoonful of ghee, and some avocado.
Kid tips: My 7 year old son likes to keep his dahl separate from his rice and top both with nutritional yeast. I’ve also heard of parents melting some cheese in the dahl to make it more kid-friendly.
Enjoy!