Mung Dal with Sweet Potatoes & Carrots

Kacha Mooger Dal Shobji Diye

Every now and then, I like to have mung dal in its unroasted form. It's called 'kacha mooger dal' in Bengali  which translates to 'raw mung lentils'.  I like to add vegetables (shobji) to lentils to get more vegetables into our daily diet.

Ingredients:

1 cup mung dal, washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hour

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 cup baby carrots, halved

2 Tbsp. extra light olive oil

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

½ tsp. shah jeera or jeera/cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 star anise

½ tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. ghee (clarified butter)

2-4 green chillies, slit in half

chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Bring lentils, along with water it was soaked in, to a boil and simmer until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and fry cinnamon stick, star anise and shah jeera until seeds sputter.
3. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, ginger paste and turmeric.
4. Stir everything and simmer on medium heat until vegetables are cooked.
5. Pour cooked lentils over vegetables, add sugar, salt and 1 cup hot water and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and adjust salt to taste.
7. Garnish with ghee, green chillies and cilantro and serve with hot cooked basmati rice, naan or tortilla.