Who doesn’t love a warm, hearty lentil soup in winter? In Bangladesh, we have two different kinds of lentils- one is called Moshur daal (Lens Culinaris) and another is called Muug Daal (Vigna radiata). Muug Daal is also called green gram as the beans are covered with deep green husk and has a slightly different texture and taste than red lentils. Muug daal is used in various ways in combination with different vegetables. Today I am sharing the recipe of plain Muug Daal soup, can be eaten as it is or with rice.

Well, cooking Bangladeshis daal takes a several steps. Today’s recipe might seem quite extensive but I promise, once you get hold of it, this would be the easiest and tastiest recipe you will ever make!

Daal can be cooked in different ways but to make a classic Bangladeshi mung bean daal, you need to follow step by step that described below. However I would like to start with list of ingredients you will need: Splitted Mung bean, onion, garlic cloves, turmeric powder and cumin seeds.

Step 1: Dry toast Mung beans without any oil. This step is pretty important to bring aroma and taste of mung beans. Toast them until the beans starts to release aroma and and changes colour from yellow to brownish. Be careful of the heat of the stove, because too much heat will burn the beans. Also keep stirring continuously to avoid burning.

Step 2: Wash toasted mung beans right after taking them down from stove. Soak them for 10 minutes first and then wash very well with slightly warm water. As you can see in the picture, the water is quite turbid at the beginning but after 8 to 9 washes, it will be clearer.

Step 3: Boil Mung beans with cold water. Please do not add too much water at the beginning because mung beans tends to overflow. So add just enough water until beans are properly boiled. When you will see the beans are half broken, it mean they are cooked. Sometimes, due to type of beans, its either hard or takes a really long time to get boiled. In that case, you can use a hand blender. Some people like to strain the water after boiling like pasta, but I do not recommend it, as you will loose most of the nutrients and of course, you will compromise a lot with flavors!

When mung beans are boiled, add salt and turmeric powder. Adding those before boiling the beans would make the beans harder to get boiled. So I prefer to add them after boiling the beans. I also added green chilies at this step.

Step 4: Phoron (Seasoning)! Warm oil in a fry pan in medium low heat. First add whole cumin seeds and after a few seconds, add garlic. When cumin starts to pop and garlic are little reddish, add onion slices. The reason I put them separately one after another is to bring out the flavors of each individual spices! If you fear for burning them, just keep the flame in low heat.

You need to saute the onion until they are golden brown. The key is to saute them in low heat. It will take a bit of your time and patience but please do not rush it, because you do not want to end up with burnt onions like me!

Step 5: Add seasoning to the boiled mung beans. Now, a tricky step. Take a spoon or a ladle full of boiled mung beans and put it in the pan together with onions and spices. This process is messy and you will experience some splatters, but believe me, this is the second most important step. Adding daal in the pan where you made the seasoning gives that classic flavor that you won’t find in doing else wise. Let the daal simmer a while (5 -10 seconds) and add them back in the pot with rest of the boiled daal. Now, I don’t want to waste any flavor, so I wash up the fry pan with water and add them back in the pot with daal, so that every little atoms of flavor is saved!

If you think this step is too messy, you can of course skip it. Instead, put the seasoning directly in the pot with daal.

Step 6: Almost Done! You can take the daal out of stove now and start eating(!) already, but I like to check salt at this step and see if I need to add more. You can let the daal simmer a bit if you want a thicker consistency, or add little water if you want it thinner. I have added extra water in mine and simmered it for a while.

Finally, the daal is ready and I am hundred percent sure that you will love every bite (!) of this recipe. Enjoy it warm with bread, rice, tortilla or just as it is!

Recipe: 6-8 Servings Prepping time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients: 200g Splitted Mung Beans / Muug Daal (Vigna radiata) Spice and Condiments 50ml Vegetable Oil 1 big Onion – Sliced 2-3 cloves of Garlic – Sliced 2 tsp fine Salt 2-3 Green Chili 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tbs Whole Cumin seed

Instructions: 1. Dry roast the mung beans in a heated pot without any oil. Continue to stir the beans until they release aroma and begins to change colour from yellow to brownish. 2. Soak the roasted beans for 10 minutes. Wash them water for 7-8 times until waters come out clean. 3. Boil rinsed beans in a medium pot along with little water. Allow the beans to cook for 20 minutes. If the beans are not properly boiled after 20 minutes, then use hand blender. Do not drain water. When beans are boiled, add salt and turmeric. Turn the heat to medium. 4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frypan set over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, then garlic, cook for 10- 20 seconds, until they starts bubbling. Add onion and cook them until golden brown. 4. Now, scoop a ladle full of boiled boiled mung beans and pour them over fried onion mixture. Simmer for 10 seconds. 5. Pour the mung bean- spice mixture to the pot with rest of the boiled beans. 6. Simmer mung beans for 5 to 6 minutes in low heat. You can add extra water if you want lentil more runny. Serve them hot with rice, ruti or naan. Enjoy!