Daal fry (Lentil Soup)

It doesnt always have to be seven course meal or a full thali. Sometimes the simplest dish can hit the spot. So it was with this delicious daal fry with chawal. We had it for lunch and then for dinner as well. It didnt need anything else. The daal is my mothers recipe but modified with ingredients at hand. My mother uses fresh tomatoes but I used canned tomato sauce instead and I was out of coriander, else it would be heaven.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow moong daal

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

3 green chilies

1/3 inch piece minced garlic

1/3 can (16 oz) tomato sauce

1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons red chili powder

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt

Water

Place the daal in a pressure cooker with approx 2 1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook to 2 whistles. Let the cooker cool naturally. The steam inside will break down the daal even more. In a separate deep vessel, heat the oil. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add the onions and garlic. When they are translucent add the chilies, ginger, turmeric powder and the red chili powder. Saute for a minute and add the tomato sauce. When all the ingredients are cooked, approx 2-3 minutes, add the daal along with the water it was cooked in. Whisk to give a smooth texture (optional). Add water to reach the desired consistency. Mix thoroughly and bring it to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the daal (Mom doesn't need to I do), all the flavors should be meshed well and there should not be any boiled daal taste. Else boil a little longer. Add the chopped coriander and serve hot with chawal.