Bhaja Moong er Daal aka Sona Muger Dal

It was a super hectic week at the office and I was eagerly waiting for Saturday; my exclusive day to relax with 2-3 cups of coffee and a bunch of newspaper. This is then followed by a simple vegetarian lunch since I am a Saturday vegetarian. I prefer to have a simple lunch on Saturdays. Bhaja Moong-er Daal is something that I Prepare almost every alternate Saturday. My Dida used to prepare heavenly Bhaja Moong er Daal and I follow her recipe line by line. So my Shona Moong er Daal is not complete without a spoonful of Sugar and a generous amount of Ghee! 😛

Bhaja Moong er Dal is a Typical Bengali delicacy prepared almost in every Bengali household. This Daal is a Bong version of  Lentil Soup prepared with no Onion and no Garlic. Bhaja refers to “Fried” however this Daal is prepared with dry roasted Moong Daal, in fact, the special aroma of dry roasted Daal is the significant characteristic of this Daal.

Bengali Sona Moong-er Daal

Dida used to call it Sona Muger Dal. Sona Mug is actually a variety of Moong Dal available in West Bengal and in the stores, those are having Bengali sections within or outside India. Bhaja Mooger Daal is all about the comfort, the sweet taste and the aftertaste of Ghee. A soothing Bengali Side is for a few spoonfuls of rice.

The recipe of Sona Moong er Daal calls for very basic things apart from the Yellow split lentil. You need a few spices such as red chili, cumin seed and powder, bay leaf, and some ginger paste to make the Daal. Ghee is an integral part of this delicacy. Though optional, however, I like tomatoes in my Sona Muger Dal. Last but not the least, green chilis not only gives the hotness but is required for the distinct aroma as well!

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Bhaja Moong er Dal

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Bhaja Moong er Daal aka Sona Muger Daal is a no onion no garlic comforting Lentil soup from Bengali Cuisine.

• Author: Debjani Chatterjee Alam
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 5 People 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Bengali
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup (150g) Yellow Split Moong Dal (Sona Muger Dal)
• 1 Tomato (medium; chopped) (optional)
• 2 Green Chilies
• ½ Tsp. Cumin Seed
• 2 Dry Red Chili
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Tsp. Ginger Paste
• ½ Tsp. Cumin Powder (optional)
• ½ Tsp. Turmeric powder
• 1.5 Tsp. Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Ghee
• 1 Tsp. Salt or to taste

Instructions

1. Take Moong Daal in a Non-stick pan and dry roast over medium to medium-low heat 1-2 minutes or till the dal changed to a golden color but not brown and emit a nutty aroma.
2. Switch the flame off and Transfer dal to a bowl and wash daal thoroughly.
3. Now boil dal along with the turmeric powder, 1 whole chili, and salt till it softens in a pan with a lid on for 20 minutes.
4. Else simply use a pressure cook the same which requires 3 whistles. I mostly opt for a Pressure cooker for this step.
5. Heat ghee in a Pan and temper the Ghee with Dried Red Chili, Bay leaf, and Cumin Seeds and fry for a ½ minute.
6. Add little water and cook till the water evaporates.
7. Add Ginger Paste and fry for ½ minute more.
8. Now add chopped tomatoes (optional) and stir constantly.
9. Add Salt, Sugar, Cumin Powder, ad slit Green Chili to the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
10. Pour boiled dal into the mixture and mix well.
11. Cook in medium flame for 5 more minutes & remove from heat.
12. Add little Ghee to fish the dish.
13. Serve Bhaja Muger Dal with Plain Rice along with Begun Bhaja or any other veg or non-veg side dishes.

Notes

• Tomatoes are optional however I prefer mine with it.
• You can skip the cumin powder as well.
• You can top it with a few cilantro as well.
• Ghee can be substituted with Oil, however, that will not give the richness and aroma to the Daal.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 35-40g
• Calories: 66
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 250mg
• Fat: 0.3g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 11.9g
• Fiber: 1.9g
• Protein: 4.1g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: Bengali Bhaja Moong er Dal, Bhaja muger dal recipe, bengali moong dal recipe, sona moong er dal recipe, debjanir rannaghar

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Have you tried the Bh Muger Daal/ Sona Muger Dal Recipe from Debjanir Rannachar!

Do let me know how it came out if you tried it at home. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. On Instagram, you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar, or, in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.

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