Molagootal - mild lentils and veggie curry / broth

A popular Palakad Iyer dish which is simple and nutritious. Its a blend of lentils and vegetables with ground coconut and spices. I love the one made with spinach - keerai molagootal. You can use any number of veggies like  snake gourd, choko, beans, snow peas, long melon, wintermelon, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. I love my molagutal with steaming rice, vadu maanga (tender mango) pickle and crispy chips or papadam.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup dal - pressure cooked (it works with all kind of dals... the most popular one is toor dal)
2. Vegetables - chopped - 3 cups - you can use a mix of vegetables or just one (no onions, tomatoes)
3. Salt to taste
4. turmeric - qtr tsp

GRIND

1. Grated coconut - quarter cup
2. cumin seeds - 1 tsp
3. curry leaves - few
4. Chilly (green / dried) - 1 or 2 (I do not add chillies ad my little one cannot stand any heat and I really cant keep making different stuff for everyone in the house
5. asafoetida / hing - 2 pinch

TEMPERING

1. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp - for tempering
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry Leaves  - few
4. Asafoetida / hing - a pinch
5. Urad dal - 1 tsp
6. Chana Dal - 1 tsp
7. Dried Chilly - 1 (optional)

METHOD

1. In a pan add the vegetables, turmeric and salt with water to cover it and let it cook
2. Grind the items listed under that section with some water to make a thick paste.
3. Once the veggies are cooked stir in the coconut paste and cook for a minute
4. Add the cooked dal and let it simmer for 2 mins
5. In a separate small pan heat the coconut oil add the mustard seeds. After it sputters add the urad dal, hing and chilly. In the end add the curry leaves and pour on top of the dal.
6. Serve with rice, papadam and a spicy pickle.

VARIATION

If you are using only spinach for this molagootal then make sure you cook it a mash it before you add the coconut paste & dal