Bean-Ginger Dal

 Is there any way to freeze time?  Freeze moments in time actually.  People all too often talk about time travel – travelling back or forth in time.  I would rather want to be able to freeze moments – moments when my children first smiled, when they took their first steps, when they slept so peacefully that you thought they were angels or to moments we spent together playing or sitting together as a family at the dinner table.

My son will be 14 years this summer and my daughter will be 10 years in spring.  I see them as little adults at home – very much developing their own opinion, making their mistakes, talking about new things and discoveries they make every day.  Almost all moments spent with them are joyful.  I say almost because not all moments are joyful – especially when they argue or refuse to do as told.  Getting out the old albums and watching them grow always brings tears to my eyes.  I did freeze the moment in time on my camera lens, but oh!  How I wish I could go through the picture and cuddle them at that instant, hold them in my arms, kiss them.  I guess in a few years when they are adults, the present that I have with them now would be moments I would have wanted to re-live again.  So why spend time prodding over what I cannot have and let me grasp with open arms what I do now.  Babies – you are going to get huge hugs today when I get home and you would not know why!

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups French beans or green beans

1 cup Tuvar dal or Pigeon Pea  

2 tablespoons Green gram dal

2 tablespoons Gram dal

Grind to a paste:

2 tablespoons coconut gratings

2" piece ginger

1 green chili

5 curry leaves

For seasoning:

1 tablespoon corn oil

A pinch asafetida

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 dried red chilies

For garnishing:

Coriander leaves

Lime juice

 

Method:

1. Pressure cook dals and beans till soft.  
2. Add the ground paste and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep aside.   
3. Separately, heat oil in a pan and when hot, add the seasoning and pour over the dal mixture. 
4. Add salt and bring to a boil. 
5. Add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.