Tarkari diye Moong Dal (in pressure cooker)

A few days back a friend posted on her Facebook that work life balance is a myth. With two little kids and a full-time job, a sentence like this gets my attention. I agree it's hard to find even a day when I have it in balance. For me, the weight shifts every week, make it everyday, depending on what I have going. Depending on what time of day you ask me, I may be trying hard to get one or the other in order.

What I do find, however, are moments when things are working in harmony and it is those moments that make it wonderful.

What do you think? Is it a myth? Or you have work and home in harmony with a good balance?

When you add to this question a healthy, balanced meal, things get even more complex. And that's where a dal like this comes in handy.

The recipe is my sister-in-law's who started making this when my niece was little. Now I have started making it as well. What makes it even better is it gets cooked in a pressure cooker.

I recently saw Bong Mom Cookbook and Indian Food Rocks showcasing their pressure cookers and I wanted to join in even though I am late for the event. So I wrote to Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom and she graciously accepted my request.

 I don't know what I would do without my pressure cookers. I use it several times during the week to boil dal, make sabji, make a quick chole, rajma, other lentils and sometimes even murgir jhol. When Lil A was small I made his lunch in a little pressure cooker. In a few months it will be Tiny M's turn to eat delicious stuff made fresh in a pressure cooker just for him.

I own three cookers, a small Hawkins, medium Prestige one and a big Futura pressure cooker.

I mostly make the dal with carrots and peas, but you can add any vegetable of your choice.

Ingredients:
1 cup Moong dal (washed)
1 big carrot or 2 medium chopped small
1/4 cup peas
1/2 tspoon ghee
2 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2/3 tspoon cumin seeds
1 green chilli (adjust to taste)
1/2 tspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tspoon cumin seed powder
salt to taste
1 tspoon oil

Method:
Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker. Then temper it with asafoetida, cumin seeds and chilli.

Then add the washed moong dal and the vegetables and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the turmeric powder, cumin seed powder, and salt and let it mix together for another 1-2 minutes.

Add double the amount (and a little more) of water, so for 1 cup I add about 2 1/2 cups of water.  Close the lid and move the heat to medium high. Let it cook for 3 whistle and turn it off.

The dal is now ready to eat. Serve with rice and a salad.