Lemon Daal (Nimmakayi Kattu)

Lemon Dal (NimmaKaya Kattu)

There are some foods which give you instant gratification when eaten, food that satisfies our soul and makes you full and remind you of home Nimmakaya Kattu is one of them for me. This is prepared usually during the night because its very light and helps with digestion. Eaten usually with hot rice and ghee makes you one step closer to heaven. This can be eaten with roti's too make a light tasty daal.Best part of this Dal/(Kattu as called in Telugu ) is takes less then the time to cook rice.Perfect for weekdays dinners.
Today's Lemon Daal is made freshly from Lemons from my backyard,noting like the scent of fresh lemon, the essential oil from the lemon leaves has such a clean and fresh feeling to it. Citrus to me always comes synonymous to clean. Today's recipe is my contribution to JFI -Lemon, hosted by dear Coffee of The Spice Cafe.

Ingredients (makes to feed about 6 )

1/2 cup of Moong Dal

juice of 3 lemon

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Haldi/Turmeric

Salt according to taste

For Seasoning/Tadhka

1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp Jeera

1/2 tbsp Urad Dal

a pinch of hing

8-10 kadi Patta (Curry leaves)

1 tbsp ghee (optionally oil)

Process

1. Pressure cook moong dal until soft, once cold mash into a fine paste add salt and make into a dal like consistency

2. squeeze juice of 3 Lemons, add salt and Haldi and leave aside.

3.Heat a pan add mashed Moong allow it boil for 3 minutes, to the boiled moong add the above lemon juice and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes.

4. Heat a tbsp of ghee, add all the ingredients for tadhka and when mustard seeds start to splutter add to boiled moong dal. Mix well and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with rice or roti's.