Sattvic Tuesdays: Methi Dal / Lentils with fresh fenugreek leaves

Recipe: Tempered lentils cooked with tomato and garnished with methi/fenugreek leaves.

      All across, I bet there will be more than 1000 ways of how to prepare a daal/lentil soup or curry, each one different with lentils, spices, tempering ingredients and all other additional ingredients that can go into preparing it. A little math, permutation and combination with the number of ingredients and you will get a large number…and that many ways one can make the curry !!! One of my friends asked if I use fresh methi leaves in curry, to which I nodded in a yes, but the most often and preferred way of including fenugreek leaves in our cooking is preparing it as a bhaji, a dry curry.
     This being sattvic recipe, meaning no onions, garlic and of course no non-veg ingredients in it, a perfect for any Hindu or Jain religious occasions and is vegan recipe too. I’ve combined two lentils, mung daal and masoor daal for the recipe. Once done garnish with some freshly chopped methi/fenugreek leaves.  So here’s the recipe for you’ll to try…

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red lentils (masoor daal)
1/2 cup yellow lentil (mung daal)
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chilies, chopped
pinch of asafetida
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
salt to taste
1 cup methi/fenugreek leaves, chopped

Preparation
1. Wash the lentil and soak them in water for few minutes.
2. Heat oil in a deep vessel. Add mustard seeds, as they splutter add cumin seeds and green chilies. Add asafetida.
3. Immediately add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric and water as required. Close the lid and let it cook.
4. About 15 –20 minutes on medium flame, the curry will be cooked.
5. Add the chopped methi/fenugreek leaves and close the lid. Keep for another 2 –3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and serve as a soup or with plain rice or roti.

Preparation Time: 25 – 30 mins

Note: One can also separately cook the lentils and then temper it.
Variation: Use curry leaves for tempering if not using fenugreek leaves in the dish.
                      You can also cook the leaves along with the lentils; or use kasoori methi for garnish.