Methi Dhal

Recipe by Bhanu Sistla

Ingredients:
Toor Dhal - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
Methi leaves - 1 bunch
Tomato - 1
Salt - as required
Oil - as health conscience dictates :)
Mustard seeds - as required
Jeera - as required
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Red chillies - as required
Green chillies - as required
Ginger (crushed)- 1 tsp
Garlic (crushed) - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - as required :)
Coraiander powder - little :)
Cumin powder - little :)
Aachi kulambu milagai thool - little :)
Sugar - little

* little :) means use as u please

Note:
(Recipes passed on through word of mouth never have exact tsp, tbl, cup wise measurements for ingredients)

Method:

Pressure cook the dhal, coriander leaves, methi leaves along with chopped tomatoes and salt with enough water. Might want to cook for about 6 - 8 whistles so that the dhal is completely cooked. Do not try to add more dhal thinking you have bigger bunch of methi. It will shrink to an inconspicuous quantity when cooked and you will end up searching for methi leaves in your dhal.
In a separate kadai, add some oil and splatter mustard seeds and then add jeera. Add a pinch of hing followed by curry leaves, red and green chillies. Follow it up with crushed ginger and garlic and then all the spice powders. Before you burn it up, pour this into the cooked methi dhal. Add little sugar in the end to the dhal to enhance flavor (as said in most recipes and what I follow blindly).

What's so special about this Methi Dhal? Well, it totally transformed two things (dhal and greens) that I don't like, into a dish that I absolutely love. I have come to like methi so much and appreciate its flavor. Thanks to my friend Bhanu for giving me the recipe. I have finally put this in writing, so that I wouldn't disturb her again for the n-th time asking for this recipe.