Feb 13, 2010

Carrot greens with moong dal

My mother was incredulous. Her grown up daughter of thirty six was experimenting with winter greens, she who had, growing up, caused her much heartburn by refusing to eat even the cilantro floating in the dal!
Yes, she was finally grown up and it had taken not a mother’s love but her husband’s love for all things vegetables to turn her around. There she was, listening over the phone at her excited daughter’s recipe for, of all things, carrot greens adapted from her (mother’s) fenugreek lentil sabzi!
And yes, I have also posted a similar version without the ginger and garlic for green beans and lentils and which Supriya adapted recently to suit her family’s taste.
If, like me, you have never cooked with carrot greens before, they taste a little carroty after being cooked and the taste is enhanced by the addition of some cilantro to it. I have on occasions also added some chopped up baby spinach but it does not make or break the recipe. I have added it purely for volume and not taste.

Ingredients
1/4 cup of yellow, split moong dal (lentils)
1 bunch of carrot greens
1/2 bunch of cilantro sprigs
2 carrots, chopped fine
1 tbsp ginger and garlic chopped fine (2 big cloves of garlic and 1 inch piece of ginger should do it)
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of asafetida (hing)
1/2 tsp of red chili powder
1 tsp of garam masala
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash the moong dal two to three times in water and soak with1/2 cup of water. Keep it aside while you wash the carrot greens in plenty of water. They are gritty and it is important to soak them in a big pot of water for a few minutes to let the grit settle down.
Pick and clean the cilantro sprigs as well. Don’t be tempted to use the tough stems.
In a heavy bottom kadahi, add about two swirls of olive oil and let it heat gently. Add the mustard seeds. As they start to sputter turn the heat to low, add asafetida, red chili and the finely chopped ginger garlic. The ginger garlic should start giving off their aromas within a minute as they start to cook. At this point add the soaked moong dal and the chopped carrots. Turn the heat to medium low. The moong dal should start to puff up. Add the garam masal and some salt and cover for about five minutes. Keep checking in between to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Remove the lid, turn the heat to low and with a pair of kitchen scissors start snipping the carrot greens and cilantro directly over the cooking dal and carrot mix.
If you are the more organized or perfectionist kind of cook, feel free to chop it on a chopping board and then add it. More power to you.
Add some salt, give a final mix to the greens lentils combo and cover on medium low for about ten minutes or till the greens are wilted. Serve as a side with chappati or phulkas or dosas (hey, I have eaten stranger combos and this one tasted pretty good).
A review of Skinny Bitch in the Kitchen will be coming soon. But first, this is off to Rachael of Crispy Cook, who is hosting this month's MLLA #20 for Susan.

17 comments:

  1. wow, carrot greens..something new to me..lovely clicks and nice presentation..

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  2. I see them here too but they look so wilted, never have the heart to buy those. Is that a dosa you're combining it with? The other veggie dish also looks good. Beans?

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  3. delicious healthy and colourful too.

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  4. I think this is a very innovative recipe. Thanks for sending it over to My Legume Love Affair.

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  5. Thank you Deepa, kitchen queen and Parita.

    Sra, lately I have been getting very fresh, vibrant carrot greens and yes, that is green beans I made with some potatoes. The recipe is also on the blog but the beans are paired with moong dal instead.

    Rachel, it is always fun to send something for MLLA. :)

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  6. Lovely, colourful and healthy dish..love all the stuff which areused in this recipe..thanks for sharing..

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  7. Very fresh and colorful DSM. Good one to try with rotis.

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  8. Very nice recipe Jaya. I have never tried the carrot green before. I like the combination of greens and moong daal. Thanks for this and the other recipe.

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  9. Wow such lovely colors.Healthy and tasty.

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  10. Oh Cruel Life, what have I done apart from making fried goodies and showing off :D

    I say bring on the rolling pins, may be I can sell them as DSM's and Asha's to your fans and roll in some moolah.

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  11. I have never tried my hands on carrots greens and but the dish looks so yummy :) should get some if I find them here.

    Wishing you a very Happy V'day Jaya!

    Siri

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  12. Jagruti, Ruchika, RC, Vaishali and Anjum, Thank you.

    Ms. Ruchika, you take the award for making me laugh the hardest today. :)

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  13. I used to cook carrot greens everytime someone brought down fresh carrots froma trip to Ooty or Kodaikanal, which wasn't very often.

    Wish it was available here. :(

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  14. I never tried cooking with carrot greens but this dish sounds so easy, I must try it. We get so many greens with the local CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture---first time in the winter months) and I am always looking for new ways to use them. Thanks for the innovative recipe!

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Thank you for visiting my space. I miss my former editors, so any form of criticism/ appreciation is welcome. :)

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