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Komola Moong Dal (Moong Dal With Oranges)

December 28, 2016 By Maumita Paul 4 Comments

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Komola Moong DalPin

Not too long back, the world was smaller. I ruminate as I stir my pot of Komola Moong Dal this morning.

Washington apples, Chinese mandarins,  Atlantic salmon or Chilean sea-bass had not yet invaded our kitchens. Science had still not forayed into the mind-boggling universe of crazy genetic mutations.
You waited, patiently, for the Good Earth to bless you with her bountiful produce.

And unlike in today’s world of crass consumerism, where, thanks to the magic of biotechnology and the supreme power of logistics, anything is available at your doorstep any time, you watched in anticipation as seasons flew. The grey winter gave in to the colorful spring. The monsoons quenched the thirst of the earth after the scorching summers. And each season arrived in ostentatious style with her own bouquet of produce – her very own fruit, vegetables, grains or even fish.

The Ratnagiri Alphonsos, for instance, that heralded the onset of summer. Or that first crop of Muzaffarpur litchis.
The first Hilsa from the Padma just before the rains.
The Himachali apples that announced autumn.
The first harvest of gobindobhog rice and the first pot of date jaggery. That ushered in winter. Or the first harvest of gorgeous oranges.

This season’s first Nagpur oranges and I cook Komola Moong Dal, yet another quintessential Bengali classic. From Grandma’s kitchen. Moong Dal cooked with luscious orange segments in orange juice. Just a bit of ginger and a couple of green chillies for that pleasant heat.

And that nutty aroma of roasted moong dal blended harmoniously with the citrus fragrance from the orange is enough to send your olfactory senses to an ecstasy! !!!

Enjoy !!!

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Komola Moong Dal (Moong Dal With Oranges)

Komola Moong Dal. Moong Dal cooked with luscious orange segments in orange juice. Just a bit of ginger and a couple of green chillies for that pleasant heat!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bengali, Indian

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g yellow moong dal
  • 2 oranges peeled and the segments separated
  • 100 ml fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp raisins soaked in water for 15 minutes
  • 70 g paneer or homemade chhana cut into small cubes
  • 1 tsp ginger grated
  • 2-3 green chilies slit
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
  • 1/2 tbsp ghee
  • sugar to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Dry roast the moong dal till golden brown. Wash and soak for 15 minutes. Drain the dal and keep aside.
  • Soak the paneer cubes in warm salt-water for 10 minutes. Drain from water and keep aside.
  • Cook the moong dal with 11/2 cups of water until just cooked. Care needs to be taken that the dal does not become too mushy.
  • Heat oil in a deep bottomed pot, when smoking hot, add the crushed cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. Allow the spices to splutter and release their aroma.
  • Dissolve the turmeric powder in a little water and add the paste to the pot.
  • Now add the grated ginger, saute for 2-3 minutes.
  • Gently pour in the boiled dal, add the raisins, chhana cubes, salt, sugar and green chilies, bring to a simmer.
  • Add the orange juice and orange segments. Simmer for a further 3-4 minutes. The consistency of the dal should be slightly thick. If too thick, add warm water till the consistency is right.
  • Adjust seasonings. And finish it off with a dollop of ghee.
  • Serve with rice.
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Filed Under: Bengali Recipes, Lentils/Dals Tagged With: Bengali Dal Recipes, Bengali Food Blog, Bengali Food Photography, Bengali Recipes, Dal, Dal Food Photography, Dal Photography, Food Photography, Indian Dal Recipes, Indian Food Photography, Indian Recipes, Komola, Komola Moong Dal, Moong Dal, No Onion No Garlic, Oranges, Traditional Bengali Recipes, Traditional Recipes From Grandmas Kitchen, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Christmas Pudding, the Anglo Indian Way
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anindtia

    December 30, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    In the rush of life, just forget many of this simple, delicious food. Thanks for sharing or rather reminding to slow down and look back. Will definitely try it out.

    Reply
    • Maumita Paul

      December 30, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      @Anindtia So very true. Let me know if you like it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Bannya

    December 30, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    Superb! Definitely gonna try this. Never heard or tastes this preparation of moong dal being a Bong. Keep sharing these lost Bengali recepies.

    Reply
    • Maumita Paul

      December 30, 2016 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks @Bannya. Do try and let me know if you like it 🙂 More recipes from Grandmas kitchen coming soon !!

      Reply

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Hello!! I am Maumita and welcome to Experiences of a Gastronomad.
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Maumita Paul
Nothing more hearty than phulkopir singara and a c Nothing more hearty than phulkopir singara and a cup of masala  tea as the evenings get a tad bit colder !!! 
Any takers ? ❤️ .
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 #desi_diaries #storiesofkolkata #theuncommonbox #bengalifood #india_undiscovered @ig_calcutta @stories.of.kolkata #official_photography_hub #teatime #foodgasm #foodstyling #chai #foodphotography #homemade #ig_calcutta #eatseasonal @india_undiscovered @walkwithindia @tv_stilllife #tasteofkolkata #foodporn #gastronomad_m #foodtalkindia #walkwithindia #kolkatabuzz #indianshutterbugs #foodstylist #canonphotography #calcuttacacophony #onlyinbengal #snack #foodstories #acreativevisual #chai #singara #sundayvibes
Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to my heart. 

One of those days when I miss Grandma dearly and yearn to return to childhood and relish all the delectable pithe puli she would make !!! 
Happy Sankranti everyone !!!

On the plate 
Khejur Gurer Patishapta, Doodhpuli, Teler Pitha, Nolen Gurer Payesh and Soru Chakuli.
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
New blog post ❤️ And every year, around Sankr New blog post ❤️

And every year, around Sankranthi, the chitoi pithe moulds make a magical re-appearance from the hidden vaults of the windowless sunlight-starved and perennially musty and damp bhnaarar ghor (pantry), illuminated by a lone naked incandescent bulb, before being dusted, scrubbed, soaked, dried and then used in vehement anger for the Sankranti festivities, only to disappear once the euphoria of the harvest festival subsides.
A use and throw culture has still not invaded our lives and the fact that this rather inexpensive non-descript humble artifact is used on just a couple of occasions around Sankranti every year makes not an iota of difference to the magnanimous love and care it receives.
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To read more and try this recipe of Doodh Chitoi , direct link is there in bio. 
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen i Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen is in manic frenzy this morning steaming some stunning Bhapa Pitha. 

I have always preferred freshly ground rice flour to store-bought ones. And my hand-free 1400w hamiltonbeach JMG ensured the rice was ground to fine flour, just as I wanted it, in a blink .
(Also do check the coarse, medium and fine grinding options available which gives us such luxury of choice -  I opted for the fine option for the rice flour)

And  here’s my recipe for the quintessential Bengali Bhapa Pitha / Assamese Keteli Pitha. 
Soak the rice for 2 hours, drain from water. 
Allow the rice to dry over a newspaper or muslin cloth to drain any excess water. 
Use your Hamiltonbeach JMG to blitz the rice to a fine powder.
Transfer the rice flour to a bowl, add a pinch of salt, mix well.
Splash a little water to the rice flour, start mixing with your hand. The texture of the dough should be crumbly and just damp enough. Splash water in small increments, we don’t want a wet batter here.
Sieve the moist flour .
Take a kettle, fill it half with water and bring to a boil.
Wrap the lid of the kettle with a damp muslin cloth.
Spread a layer of the rice flour uniformly over the cloth.
Add 1 tsp of freshly grated coconut on the rice flour, followed by 1 tsp of chopped jaggery And finish it with another layer of rice flour. Press gently, take care to not press it too hard.
Wrap with another piece of moist muslin, put the lid back on over the boiling water.
Steam for 10-12 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid from the kettle. 
Gently remove the outer muslin cloth. Use a sharp knife along the edges of the lid to un-mould the pitha..
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#BigBoxOfLove

#SayToHelloPerfection #ProResultsAtHome #HamiltonBeachIndia #CookLikeAPro #fbciofficial

@hamiltonbeachindia, @fbciofficial @grainandgrowth .
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #glutenfree #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #sankranti
The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is s The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is sheer magic – Pillowy rice flour parcels with a tiny morsel of patali hidden in the center. Stewed in milk perfumed with even more patali gur.
Have a bite, Grandma coaxes.
And the molten patali bursts out of the shackles of the rice flour cocoon.
The fragrance of patali and the perfume of rice leave my palate enthralled.
I take another bite.
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If you want to try this , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced han Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced hands effortlessly remove the pithe from the oil and immerse them in the jaggery syrup, but even before Maa can warn me, I have snatched one and bitten into the gokul pithe.
My tongue is singed.
And for that odd moment, I am all numb.
Minutes, that feel like days, pass.
And then the taste sinks in, sublime, a mellifluous symphony of grated coconut and jaggery.
This is food heaven !!!
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Natorer Luchir Payesh!! A sandwich, if I can use t Natorer Luchir Payesh!!
A sandwich, if I can use the liberty of an analogy, of two luchis with a divine gurer kanchagolla filling in between. Fried to a gorgeous golden. And dipped into a notun gur perfumed payesh just before serving.
You do not want it soggy, Grandma would religiously remind Maa every time, that would ruin the fun of the dish.
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love for rice. Not just rice, any new harvest. Any fresh produce of the soil. Her soil. As she would proudly assert.
Wasting rice in our growing-up years was never an option. Not even a single grain. This is the labour of love. She would remind Dada and me whenever we fussed about food. This is the culmination of months of back-breaking labour. Respect the grain. Respect the farmer.

Cut to the present. My chire has just arrived. Ordered online and delivered at the doorstep by a logistics company. I am blissfully ignorant of what rice went in to prepare this chire. And the farmer shall remain an unacquainted stranger to me. As would his family who possibly helped as well.
Food has reduced, I ruminate, to being impersonal, hasnt it, the consumer and the producer separated by more degrees than my mind can decipher. The price I guess for the comforts of modern life.
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To read more and  try chirer doodpuli , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to sna Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to snatches of emotional upheavals. Reminiscing more and more of her home in sylvan Sylhet.
Chachi was our neighbour. Born in Bikrampur near Dhaka. Married to a trader family in Sylhet. She brought with her to Sylhet the delectable Bibikhana Pitha from her home town. And every year she would lovingly welcome winter, the new harvest, the fragrant rice and the notun gur with her Bibikhana Pitha.
So here it is, the incredibly delicious Bibikhana Pitha. From Bikrampur in Bangladesh. 
Bliss !!! 
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If you want to try this recipe , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #foodie #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #glutenfree #creatingmemories

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