Moong Dal Bhajia in Tomato Gravy

For the Moong Dal Bhajias

Ingredients

  • 250 g whole moong dal, soaked overnight and ground to a paste
  • 2 tsp finely chopped green chilli
  • Unrefined salt to taste
  • Coriander (dhania) seeds, coarsely ground
  • ⅛ tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method 

Take the moong dal paste in a bowl. Add coarsely ground coriander seeds, chopped coriander leaves,  garam masala, green chilli and salt. Mix well and form golf sized balls. Steam these until cooked (approximately 10 minutes – a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean) and then bake in the oven at 180 °C for 5-10 minutes.

For the Tomato Gravy

Ingredients

  • 400 g tomato puree
  • ⅛ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
  • 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
  • 1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • Unrefined salt to taste

Note: the above masala ingredients may be adjusted according to personal taste

Method 

Steam the tomatoes and grind to a paste. In a pan, take the tomato paste, add all the masalas mentioned above and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add some water if needed, to obtain your preferred consistency and let it cook for a while. Allow to simmer on low heat. After 5-10 minutes, add the bhajias and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed red rice.

Serves 4