Egg Dal Tadka (Scrambled Eggs With Lentils)

                      

There is a saying in India that if you wish to savor the real taste of Indian food, you should stop by any highway eatery (dhabas) , particularly in North India where they are available in plenty. The best part of these dhabas are that being in the countryside  they offer delicious food containing purest of the ingredients  and you could relax on their cots with ease and not worry about how other think about you ;-) Eat with your hands and do not hesitate for extra helpings of dal( pulses) , salad etc.. 

The Owners are generous enough to offer you good quantity of side dishes. Speaking about dal, one of the best egg dal tadka on a dhaba whose name I cannot remember yet on the Delhi Haridwar highway. It was between Meerut and Muzzafarnagar and had a traditional layout with awesome food at cheapest of price. The taste was so good that none of my family even thought that they had overeaten. Also the warmth and friendliness of the Owner and his staff was amazing. Next time I visit Hardwar, I would make it a point to stop by and relish upon their food particularly the Egg dal tadka, whose recipe I am posting here. May not be the same level as the one that I had , but still an honest attempt.

Ingredients:
1 cup Moong Split Chilka
2 Eggs
2 Onions
1 tbs chopped Ginger
2 Tomatoes, chopped
5-6 Garlic pods
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1 tsp Green chilly paste (optional)
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tbsp Dried Fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

To Temper the Dal we need:
Ghee 1 tbsp
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Whole Red chillies
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilly

Method:
Wash and soak the lentil for an hour. Drain the water and pressure cook it with 2 1/2 cups of water +1 tsp salt upto 3 whistles. The dal should not be too watery. Now heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil and add chopped onions.Saute till  the onions turn pink and then add ginger, garlic and green chilly paste, fry for 2 minutes. 

Now add diced tomatoes and fry till it leaves oil. Add cooked lentils now and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle some garam masala powder and check the seasoning and allow it to cook for another 5-6 minutes. In a separate pan make scrambled eggs with a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper . Add the scrambled eggs to the dal and sprinkle some dry fenugreek leaves. Now it's the time to temper the dal. 

In a tadka pan heat ghee and temper with red chillies, cumin seeds and lastly kashmiri red chilly for the wonderful color. Transfer this to the cooked dal and give a stir. Serve this dhaba style egg dal tadka with rotis /kulchas. 

This beautiful set of cute cup is gifted by my simple & sober blogger friend Padma Rekha who blog's at Plantain Leaf. Thank you dear :-)