Mung Dal with Tomatoes & Eggplant Flavored with Ginger

Mung Bean Lentils

Mung dal is quite often roasted before cooking, but it tastes very good without roasting. I try to add vegetables to any lentils I cook to increase my family's intake of vegetables. Today, I've added tomatoes and a diced Oriental eggplant to the lentils and flavored it very simply with ginger.

Ingredients:

1 cup mung dal, rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes

1 Oriental eggplant, diced 

1 medium tomato, diced

2 + 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

½ tsp. shah jeera or jeera/cumin seeds

½ tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tsp. ghee (clarified butter)

2-4 green chillies, slit in half

chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Wash mung dal in several changes of water, drain & soak for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a skillet and fry eggplant pieces until grolden brown.
3. Remove eggplant pieces from skillet and set aside.
4. Heat remaining oil in the same skillet and sputter cumin seeds.
5. Add ginger paste and 1/2 cup hot water and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add mung dal to skillet along with 2 cups hot water.
7. Simmer lentils over medium heat until tender.
8. Add tomatoes and continue to simmer until tomatoes break down.
9. Add eggplant to lentils and simmer for 5 more minutes.
10. If lentils are too dry, add 1/2 cup hot water and bring to a boil.
11. Stir well, adjust salt to taste and add chopped cilantro.
12. Garnish with ghee and green chilies and serve with hot cooked Basmati rice, naan or tortilla.