How To Make Moongodi / मुंगोड़ी बनाने का तरीका (Moong Dal Badi / Wadi / Bari)

 Moongodi of Split Green Gram with Cover removed (Badi of Dhuli Moong Dal)

 Chilke wali dal ki Moongodi (Badi of Split Green Gram)

Moong dal is very tasty, nutritious and easy to digest. It is very rich in protein and if moong dal with its green cover / whole moong dal is used then its nutritional value increases many folds as the minerals and vitamins remain intact with the cover. Whole moong dal is sprouted and the sprouts are extremely healthy,  and apart from protein and minerals it becomes very rich in Vitamin C. Mungodi is one of the many ways moong dal can be included I the diet.  Mungodi is made to vegetable exactly like Badi / Vadi / Bari. Mungodi is a wonderful variation of moong dal savory and can be had with roti / parantha / rice. Mungodi fried or roasted with 2-3 drops of oil (Microwave) is a wonderful appetizer. My husband loves all form of Mungodi, thus I always stock it by making Mungodi at home.

Preparation Time: 2-3 hours (15 min. for grinding to paste, rest soaking time)

Making Time: 15 minutes

Drying Time: 1-2 days (Depends on the weather)

Servings: makes 250 gm. Mungodi

Ingredients required For Making Mungodi:

• 250 gm. Chilke Wali Moong dal / Dhuli Moong dal (Moong dal with green cover (Split Green gram / or yellow moong dal (Split Green gram with cover removed)

  

   Moong dal (Green Gram)

• Water

Directions For Making Mungodi (Moong Dal Badi / Vadi / Bari):

• Wash moong dal nicely and soak it in excess of water for 2-3 hrs.minimum. (Can be soaked for 6-8 hrs.)

• Drain excess water and grind the dal to thick paste in a grinder-mixer. If water is required while grinding then it should be added in very very small proportions as moong dal grinds easily and quick.

• The paste should be thick.

Paste of Moong Dal With Green Cover (Split Green gram paste)

Paste of Dhuli Moong dal (Split green gram with its green cover removed)

• Take a steel plate/ plastic sheet. Oil the plate, not the plastic sheet.

• Take the dal paste in your fingers and using the thumb drop them to small rounds.

Paste of Moong Dal made to small rounds

• Each portion of paste put on the plate/sheet should be at 2-3 mm. distance from each other.

• Keep the plate/ sheet with wet moongodi under the sun for drying.

Moongodi drying under the sun

Moongodi drying the sun

• It will take two days if the temperature is 25-35^oC and one day if the temperature is 35-45^oC.

• Nicely scrape the almost dried moongodi from the surface on which they are drying.

• Turn them upside down and allow to dry for one day if the temperature is low else 4-5 hrs, of hot sun drying is enough.

Moongodi scraped from the plate and kept for drying

Ready for storing

• Store the dried moongodi in a airtight container / zip pouch.

• Make vegetable of Moongodi or just take handful moongodi add 3-4 drops of oil. Mix so that oil is coated on all moongodi. Micro wave them for just 30 sec. Turn them upside down with the help of spoon. Microwave for 30 sec. They will become golden brown. Sprinkle salt pepper/ red chili powder. Enjoy as snacks  appetizer with cocktails. 

Tips:

• Do not add strong smelling spices in dal paste of moongodi as the subtle flavor of moongodi will be over powered by them.

• Dal should be soaked nicely. When the soaked dal is pressed with finger nail it should be soft enough to break.

• Paste of soaked dal should be thick.

• Do not add water in large portions while grinding, add only when required, that also in very small portions.

• Scrape the moongodi from the plate / plastic sheet only when it is dry else it will get mashed to pulp and become useless.

Suggested variations:

• Finely cut coriander sprigs / spinach / green chilies can be added to the dal paste before making moongodi.

• Red chili flakes can be added to the dal paste.

Halwa Lababdar/Moong daal Halwa /मूंग दाल हलवा ( Less fatty Moong Dal Halwa)

Halwa Lababdar

Halwa is one of the Indian desserts which is made in auspicious occasions all over India. Suji halwa and whole wheat flour halwa being most popular. Other being halwa made from Besan, Moong dal. In northern part of India Moong dal halwa is a must during marriage feast. My daughter loves it to such an extent that when she comes to my place or I am at her place I have to make it not only for her to eat at that time but to also store so that she can eat it later on.

Moong dal halwa is very high in fat and calories, but that is what is expected of the food cooked during festivals and marriages. Since this recipe is about making moong dal halwa with comparatively less ghee thus  make it in one of the festivals and enjoy with the family the rich delicate taste of Moong dal halwa.

Preparation Time: 2hrs. (90 min. soaking time and 30 min. grinding etc.)

Cooking Time: 60 min

Servings: 15 large servings

Ingredients Required For Making Halwa Lababdar :

• 250 gm. Dhuli Moong dal (split Moong dal without green cover)

• 250 gm. Ghee (clarified butter)

• 200 gm. Sugar

• 500 ml. Milk

• 10 Green Cardamom

• 15-20 Almonds

• 15-20 Cashew nuts

• 15-20 Raisins

• Water

Direction For making Halwa Lababdar :

• Wash Moong dal and soak in water for 90 min.

• Drain the water and grind the soaked Moong dal to thick paste using as little water as possible.

Paste of Moong dal

• Cut almonds and keep aside.

• Cut cashew nuts and keep aside.

• Peel 8 green cardamom and grind the seeds to make fine powder. Keep this powder in a closed container.

• Take ghee in a thick bottom wok and heat it on high flame.

Ghee being heated in wok

•  Split the remaining two cardamoms and add them to hot ghee in the wok. Lower the flame  and  cook for 1 min.

Green Cardamom in hot ghee

•  Add the paste of Moong dal and cook with continuous stirring on low flame till it changes the color to golden pink color and gains grainy and brittle texture. (It will take approximately 30 min. Ghee will start separating at this stage)

Moong dal paste  added to ghee

After 10 min. of cooking dal paste in ghee on low flame

Cooking on low flame with continuous stirring dal paste changing to grainy and brittle texture 

Dal started to get pinkish brown color after 25 -30  min. of cooking on low flame

Golden pink color cooked dal ready for sugar and milk to be added

• Add sugar and mix.

 Sugar added to fried dal paste

• Add milk immediately after adding sugar.

Milk added to dal and sugar mixture

• Cook with continuous stirring till it comes to boil.

• Once the mixture of dal, sugar, milk become uniform mixture then cover it and cook for 15 min. on low flame.

Dal mixed nicely before covering so that no lumps are left

•  Remove the cover. All liquid should be soaked by dal. Turn the cooked halwa by removing it from the edges and bottom.

After 5 min. of cooking on low flame

After 10 min. of cooking on low flame

Halwa after 15 min. cooking

• The halwa should neither be dry nor thin.

• If it is dry and brittle then add 100 ml water, mix, cover and cook for 5 min.

Halwa ready for nuts to be added

• Add cut almonds, cashew nuts and raisins.

Nuts added to halwa and to be mixed

•  Mix nicely.

• Add green cardamom powder, mix and cover. Allow it to stand covered for 5 min so that the flavor of cardamom seeps inside halwa nicely.

• Take out in a serving bowl and decorate with dry fruit.

• Serve hot.

  

  Halwa Lababdar

Tips:

• The paste of dal should be fine but thick.

• Use nonstick wok it will reduce the amount of ghee to be used to half and the paste of dal will also not stick to the bottom of wok while the paste is being cooked in ghee.

• Take whole cream milk.

• Once the ghee is hot then on wards cooking should be done on low heat (flame) only.

Suggested Variations:

• If you like the halwa to have ghee coming out from the edges of container and floating at the top like in market made halwa then increase the amount of ghee to 350 gm-400gm.

• Use nonstick wok to make halwa and reduce the ghee content to 150 gm.

• Date jaggery ( khajoor ka gud) can be used instead of sugar this will increase the nutritive value as date jaggery is rich in Iron and Vitamin C.

• Pistachio and any other nuts of your choice can be added.

• Instead pure milk, 50:50 mixture of milk and water can be added.

• Saffron can be added while adding milk and water mixture.

Dubke ( Thick gravy of dal paste with pakodas )

Dubke

Dubke are special dish made in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. At is a wonderful variation of dal dish, as main course and accompaniment to rice. In the chill of morning when steaming hot Dubke are placed before me with steaming hot rice and a dollop of Ghee I feel that I am eating the best meal of my life. Because not only dubke is my favorite dis but also it is cooked and served by my mother. Mothers love makes everything super tasty. So make it instead of regular dal-chawal. Your family will love this dal dish

Preparation Time: 10min. (Dal soaking time not included)

Cooking Time: 30 min. (approximately)

Servings: 4 large helpings

Ingredients Required for Making Dubke:

• 100 gm. Tur Dal (Arhar dal)

• 2 Medium size Tomatoes

• Salt to taste

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 2Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 2Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 1-2 Whole Red Chilies

Spices for Dubke

•  1/2 Tea spoon Jambu (A herb found in Kumaon region of India)

Jambu (A herb grown in higher altitude of Kumaon (India) and Nepal

• 1 Tea spoon Ghee (Clarified Butter)

• Few sprigs of coriander leaves

• Cooking oil for frying

• Water

Directions for Making Dubke:

• Wash and soak dal in water for 3-4 hrs.

• Drain all water from the soaked dal and grind it to thick fine paste.

• Take half of the dal paste and add salt and 1/2 tea spoon of cumin seeds to it.

• Take oil in wok and heat it to smoking hot.

• Lower the flame and make pakodas of the dal paste with salt and cumin seeds.

• Put the pakodas of dal in water and allow them to soak.

Soaked Pakodas

• Make paste of tomatoes.

• Slit the green chilies and deseed them and cut to small pieces.

• Take 5ml. oil in the wok and heat it on high flame.

• When the oil is smoking hot put 1/2tea spoon cumin seeds, 1/2teaspoon mustard seeds and let them splutter.

• Add green chili pieces and asafoetida and immediately put the remaining paste of dal and cook it with vigorous stirring for a min.

• Add 200 ml. water and cook on low flame with continuous mixing till all paste and water make a homogenous mixture.

Paste of dal cooked with spices and made to lump less mixture

• Add Turmeric powder and salt.

• Add 250 ml. water and cook on high flame high flame till it starts boiling.

• Lower the flame and cook for 15-20min. with occasional stirring.

Dal paste being cooked with spices

• Add paste of tomato and 100ml. water and cook for another 10min.

• Add the soaked pakodas and nd cook for another 5 min.

Tomato paste and Pakodas being cooked in Dubke

• Remove the wok from gas.

• Dubke with pakodas is ready.

Dubke ready for Seasoning

• Take out dubke in a serving bowl.

• In a pan take ghee heat it.

• When the oil becomes smoking hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chili and in the last Jambu.

• Wonderful smell of Jambu along with cumin and mustard seeds will come.

• Immediately pour the ghee with all ingredients on the dubke.

Dubke

• Garnish with Coriander leaves or just enjoy it without garnishing with hot rice, Palak ka kappa ( A kumauni preparation of spinach) and mango pickle

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

Tips:

• Do not add too much water while grinding else paste will become thin and you will not be able to make pakodas.

• While cooking the paste for dubke if in the starting small lumps are formed do not worry but press them to the wall of wok with the spoon and dissolve in the water present in the wok.

• Jambu is an herb grown in higher altitude of Kumaon hill and Nepal. It is daily used for seasoning dal, dubke and vegetables in Kumaon. Its flavor comes best when ghee is used. So do not replace ghee with oil if you can get Jambu.

• Do not worry if you do not have Jambu, you can yet make and enjoy this authentic Kumauni dish.

Suggested Variations:

• Tur dal can be replaced by green moong dal, yellow moong dal, Masoor dal.

• Tomato paste can be replaced by raw mango pieces or amchur powder, but do not add tamarind or tamarind paste the original color and taste of dubke will change.