My Vedic Kitchen
Ever wondered where to get all the "fiber" that everyone keeps talking about in your daily diet? Dals.
Did you know there are over 50 different kinds of dal or beans commonly used in India? Coupled with a grain, they are the staple diet of most Indians.
Dals or beans are an excellent source of fiber and low in fat. They also have good amounts of protein, iron and B vitamins. Here are the basics.
Mung
The most commonly used and easily digested is the Mung or Moong dal. Many people refer to this as the 'yellow' dal. Actually, there are 3 types of Mung available, all of them very popular in Vedic cuisine. The first is the 'whole' mung - green in color, a perfect oval in shape. The green part of the dal is a thin covering on the 'yellow' dal.
The second is the green 'split' dal, which is merely the 'whole' mung, split in two, green cover intact.
The third, and by far the most commonly used, is the split yellow mung, which is the green, whole dal, split in two, cover removed.
The power of Dal
Our son is a freshman at University of Wisconsin. After 18 years of being fed and told what was good nourishing food, he was excited about trying out everything else (besides 'good' food) that was available 'out there'. The first time he came home, I happened to ask him what he missed the most in foods. His answer: "dal!!!"
So, now I make him little packets of dal to take with him! I have not heard a better testament about the power of this little yellow bean ever!
The Doshas and Mung Dal
This type of dal has a slight 'cooling' effect on the body. If you are familiar with the terms Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas, you will know that this is a good thing for the Pitta dosha -- for cooling heat in the body-mind.
For Vata and Kapha dinners, you can add warming spices when cooking this dal, to make it truly "Tridoshic" - which means, this food is then beneficial to all 3 doshas mentioned above.
Cooking with Mung Dal
This is one of the easiest and quickest dishes in all of Vedic cuisine - altogether delicious, versatile and nourishing.
A reciepe for easy Dal:
- 1 cup split yellow mung
- 3 cups water
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric
- A pinch of "hing" (Asian garlic) or asafetida
- ½ inch grated or finely cut fresh ginger root- optional
- 1 1/2 tsp ghee or sunflower or canola oil
- ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
All dals must be washed before being cooked.
Generally, that means taking the dal in a bowl, adding water until the dal is submerged, and then draining the water by tilting the bowl and 'cupping' the water in your fingers before discarding it. The 'cupping' is done to prevent losing any dal!
Repeating this three times is usually good enough.
Put the dal in a saucepan and add to it all the ingredients listed above, except the last two. Cook on high flame until it boils. As soon as this starts boiling, lower the heat to medium low and cover, almost completely, so there is a little opening for the steam to escape.
Now, be patient for a 1⁄2 hour and let the dal cook until soft.
Meanwhile, take the ghee or oil in a little pan and heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter until they are dark brown, not black. Quickly add this to the steaming hot dal.
Voila!!! Your tasty bowl of fiber, iron and protein is ready to be consumed with a delicious grain of your choice.
Dal Variations
Any numbers of variations are possible with dal.
It can be mixed with other dals; you can add vegetables of your choice in the beginning and allow them to cook with the dal, making this a healthy, tasty soup.
A fast favorite in busy families: add some rice to the dal while it's cooking making it a complete meal by itself.
And if you get the question: "How come your dal never tastes the same?" To me, that's a compliment!
Enjoy!
This article was prepared by mother and experienced Ayurvedic chef, Monica Kar, and was edited by Mousumi Day, MD.
MAPI recommends certified organic or Vedic organic foods whenever possible. Ask your local health food store about ordering dal or other organic foods and visit www.MVOA.org to learn more about Vedic organic agriculture.
