Moong Curry

For tonight's dinner, I made one of Bhavnesh's favorite: moong curry with roti and a side of pickled onions and yogurt. The first time I made the moong , Bhavnesh complained because it was not like his Mom makes it, and he prefers it with more tomatoes, the South African way. Then, the second time I made it, I added more tomatoes and must have done something right, because he liked it and still remembers it. I have no record of it though because I didn't post it up. This is the third time I have attempted to make the moong, and added 4 whole tomatoes, but it still was not right. See how important the posts are because each time you make a dish, it always turns out different. The recipe is the same as last, so here it is again ...

1 cup moong
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
5 green chilies
5 cloves garlic
2" piece ginger
1 tsp jaggery
1 tsp salt
1 lemon juiced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1. First, soak the moong overnight. If you do not have enough time, you can also soak for a few hours in hot water. Then wash the moong a few times before placing in pressure cooker with 1 cup water and a bit of salt. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
2. Once all the pressure has been released, open the cooker and check to see if the moong is fully cooked. It should be mushy, not hard.
3. While the moong is cooking, boil the chopped tomatoes on medium low heat. Once the tomatoes have cooked down, add the turmeric, green chili-ginger-garlic paste, salt, and jaggery.
4. Add the cooked moong and lemon juice to the tomatoes and let the curry come to a boil.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with roti and pickled onions.

I pickled the onions last night so if you are making moong, you definitely have to plan ahead so that you get the full effect. It tastes great together!