National Curry Week – Moong Dal with Cauliflower

It’s National Curry Week! To celebrate why not create this delicious Moong Dal with Cauliflower? This recipe is taken from The Dal Cookbook.

250g small, split yellow moong dal
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 medium cauliflower, divided into small florets
2 tablespoons ghee
4 small green cardamom pods
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon fresh root ginger, grated
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves
Salt, to taste

Dry fry or toast the dals in a deep frying pan without oil till the nutty aroma rises and set aside for a couple of minutes. Pour 700ml of warm water into
a heavy saucepan, add the toasted dals and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, add the ground turmeric, cumin and chilli to it, put the lid on and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Keep watching so it does not become dry and add water if necessary. Add the cauliflower florets when the dals are soft and
cook for four more minutes. Set aside.

Put the ghee into a deep frying pan. When hot, crush the cardamom pods, split the cinnamon sticks and toss them in. Then add the crushed ginger with tomato puree and blend with a whisk. As the aroma rises tip them into the pan of cooked dals and stir well. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves on top and immediately put the lid on to retain the flavour. Serve with rice or unleavened bread, such as parathas or roti.