Hari Moong Ki Dal (हरी मूंग की दाल) - Jaipur - The land of Rajwaras

Hello Friends,


As I had mentioned in my very first post, that I will also be giving some info on the state Rajasthan itself. So, here is some that you would love to know 


and may not knew before. I will give some info on my home town JAIPUR.


Jaipur (जयपुर) - The land of Rajwaras


Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the semi-desert lands of Rajasthan. The city which once had been the capital of the royalty now is the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. At present, Jaipur is a major business centre with all requisites of a metropolitan city. 


The land of Rajwaras, JAIPUR, where every niche that tells the tales of the victory and romance of royal Rajputs was first built in 1727 by Maharajah Jai Singhji II of Kachhwaha Rajputana.


For the time, architecture of the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In 1853, when the Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted pink to welcome him during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh. Today, avenues remain painted in pink, provide a distinctive appearance to the city.[1] In the 19th century the city grew rapidly; by 1900 it had a population of 160,000. The city's wide boulevards were paved and lit.


Nestling at 258 kilometers from Delhi, Jaipur is also known as the Pink City and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. The ancient capital of Rajasthan is a part of "The Golden Triangle” that includes Delhi and Agra. The strong forts and palaces of the city depict the real picture of undying zeal that rotates the traditional heritage of India, inthe lifestyle of the Maharajahs.


Like any other northern parts of India, Jaipur has a pleasant temptation that welcomes hundreds of tourists every season. The charm of summers is totally different from that of winters. Make a visit to the magnificent forts and palaces, that gives you a royal touch of ancient times, the comfort and decor cannot be bypassed once you are here in Jaipur.


The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens). The directions of each street and market are East to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are three gates facing East, West, and North and a Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face South.


The main picture on my blog is that of a famous monument of Jaipur/Rajasthan called "Hawa Mahal". It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Usta in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Its unique five-story exterior is also akin to the honeycomb of the beehive with its 953 small windows called jharokhas that are decorated with intricate lattice work.[1] The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (face cover). Built of red and pink sandstone, the palace is situated on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Jaipur’s business centre. It forms part of the City Palace, and extends to the Zenana or women's chambers, the chambers of the harem. It is particularly striking when viewed early in the morning, lit with the golden light of sunrise. 


This is a look of it's one of jhraokhas which when you sit next to, is not any less than an air-conditioner. 


Another famous ingredient of Rajasthani cuisine, Hari Moong. Pulses (Lentils) are one of the main crops in Rajasthan and that too Hari Moong. Rajasthani cuisine has lot of varieties of hari moong. I am covering one of the very first. I will cover more in later posts. Till then, enjoy this dal. Actually, this can be used as a dal and as a curry both.


Hari Moong Ki Dal (हरी मूंग की दाल)

Ingredients
Hari Sabut Moong (Whole Green Gram Dal) - 1 cup (washed and soaked for about 8 hours, preferrable overnight)
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Tomato - 1 cup chopped
Hari Mirch (Green Chillies) - 3-4 finely sliced (increase or decrease based on your taste)
Ginger - 1 inch piece grated
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Haldi (Turmeric Powder) - 1 tsp
Lal Mirch (Red Chilli Powder) - 1/2 tsp
Dhaniya (Coriander) Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin) Powder - 1 tsp
Amchur - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Rai (Mustard Seeds) - 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Lemon juice - 1-2 tsp (based on your taste)
Cilantro - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Ghee - 2 tsps
Preparation

• Wash and soak hari moong dal overnight
• Take cooker (I ideally use cooker so that I can use the same to cook the final product as well and do not have to change it into a cooker later), add oil
• Add rai and jeera and let them splutter
• Add hari mirch, ginger and garlic and fry for 1 min.
• Add chopped onion and fry them till they are transulcent
• Add all dry masalas (except garam masala) and fry for 1 min.
• Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 1 min . (no need to wait till they are all mushy)
• Add hari moong and mix well.
• Add enough water to cover the dal and a little extra (but don't add too much water as moong have already soaked water overnight)
• Put the lid on the cooker (or transfer it to cooker if you didn't take a cooker to begin with) and let it cook for about 15-20 min. (depending on how mushy you would like your dal to be, but make sure your moong holds shape and does not become beaten)
• After removing the lid, mix dal, add lemon juice, garam masala and cilantro to the cooked dal and cover the lid again (do not mix after adding garnishings at this point). Let it be like that at least for 10-15 min. 
• Add water to change consistency. Remember, this dal is not very runny, but used little thicker.

Serving
Serve it with dal or roti or paratha or naan. It pretty much goes with anything.


I am happy to send this recipe to the 21 st edition of My Legume Love Affair started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted by Superchef of Mirch Masala.


This recipe is also an entry for Vegetable Marathon - Beans.

Till next post, enjoy this yummy, healthy and nutritious recipe.


Take care,
Priya