South Indian Moong Dal Curry Soup

A simple birthday lunch for M, in India: Bell-Pepper Avial, Cherupayar Curry-Moong Dal Curry, Rose-matta Rice, Mulagu-manga/pickle and Pappadums.



This  is a very simple Moong Dal Curry. It has several variations: one can do away with onions and garlic but the basic ingredient is the paste of ground coconut with cummin. Several whole spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and cinnamon-leaf also come in the variations: sometimes boiled with the moong beans, or infused into the oil used to saute the onions  and left to simmer in the curry or ground with the coconut paste. All these alter the flavour subtly and provides you with that particular home-made dish from memories. This is a soupy version and goes to Deb's Souper Sundays.

Serves about 6, 1 Cup of Soup each!

Ingredients

I cup moong dal, soaked in plenty of water overnight

1 Cup of grated coconut

1/2 tsp of cummin seeds

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup of finely chopped red onions

2-3 slit hot green chillies

1 stem of curry leaves

2 tbsps of coconut oil

1 broken dried red chilli

1/4 tsp mustad seeds or cummin seeds

Salt

Heat 1 tbsp of oil

Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes

Add  the slit green chillies and saute for a few more minutes

Add the soaked moong beans

Boil the Moong beans with 2 2/3 cups of water, salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Meanwhile grind the grated coconut with 1/2 tsp of cummin into a smooth paste.

At this stage you can decide on a thick-curry or a Curry Soup.

Reduce the amount of water to half a cup while adding the coconut-paste to  the cooked beans.

Add it to the cooked moong beans alongwith 2 cups of water

Let it come up to a gentle boil

Simmer for 5-8 minutes.

Temper mustard seeds or cummin seeds in the other tbsp of oil

alongwith curry leaves and dried red chilli.

Add a pinch of asafoetida  and pour over the curry.

For the Soup version:

Add fried onion slices as garnish.