Carrot Pesarapappu Kura.

For carrot moong dal curry, split moong dal is boiled in water till its just soft and grainy but not mushy. Carrots are chopped up and boiled or steamed till soft. Oil is tempered with few spices and carrots are briefly fried. Then boiled moong dal is stirred in as a final step.
Makes: around 2 cups of Carrot Moong Dal Curry.

Ingredients:

Carrot 1 – 2
Moong Dal 1/2 Cup
Garlic 3 Cloves
Green Chiles 2
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Red Chiles 3
Curry Leaves 6
Asafoetida a pinch
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash, remove ends and chop carrots into small pieces.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Peel and lightly mash the garlic pods.

Bring to boil a cup of water, add chopped carrots and cook till carrots are soft.
Strain the boiled carrots and keep aside.

Refresh moong dal under fresh water.
In a small sauce pan, add moong dal and 1 1/2 cups of water.
Boil the water until moong dal is just cooked and looks translucent.
Strain the cooked moong dal and keep aside.
Alternatively, pressure cook moong dal and carrots in separate bowls for a whistle or two.

Heat oil in a wok, add mashed garlic and all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles and carrots.
Cook covered for few seconds to cook the carrots a bit.
Then, stir in cooked moong dal, turmeric powder and salt.
Fry for a minute or two and remove from heat.
Serve carrot moong dal curry with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure not to boil the moong dal until its mushy.

Suggestions: If moong dal is not cooked well, then sprinkle some water and cook covered on low flame till done. Or take care to boil the moong dal right before adding it to the carrots.
Variations: Use chopped and boiled beetroot instead of carrots.
Other Names: Carrot Moong Dal Curry.

Sent by Asha Gupta