Fresh green peas cooked with yellow moong dal and tempered with ghee and cumin into a thick, mildly sweet winter soup. A simple, seasonal Bengali dal made only in winter when fresh peas arrive in the market.
Ingredients
1 cup moong dal (split yellow moong)
1 cup fresh green peas (use fresh peas — frozen peas reduce the flavour significantly)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaf
2 dried red chilli
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
a pinch of garam masala
coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Wash the moong dal: Place 1 cup moong dal in a bowl. Cover with water and rub between your hands. The water will turn cloudy. Pour off the water. Repeat 3 times until water is mostly clear.
Cook the moong dal: Place the washed moong dal in a pot with 3 cups water and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Bring to a boil on high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce to medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes until the dal is completely soft. Unlike other lentils, moong dal does not need a pressure cooker.
Shell the fresh peas: Shell the fresh peas by running your thumb along the seam of each pod to pop it open. Remove all the peas and discard the pods. Fresh peas should be bright green and smell sweet.
Add peas to the cooked dal: Add the fresh shelled peas to the cooked, soft moong dal. Stir gently. Cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes until the peas are just tender — they should be cooked but still bright green and not mushy.
Add sugar and salt: Add 1 tsp sugar and salt to the dal. Stir. The sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the fresh peas and is characteristic of Bengali dal preparations.
Check consistency: The dal should be thick but flowing — not paste-like. If too thick, add 1/2 cup water and stir. If too thin, cook uncovered for 3 more minutes.
Make the ghee tadka: Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a small pan on medium heat until hot. Add cumin seeds — wait for them to crackle. Add bay leaves and dried red chilli. Stir for 15 seconds until the chilli darkens and puffs. Add red chilli powder — stir 10 seconds on low heat.
Pour the tadka over the dal: Pour the entire hot ghee tadka directly into the cooked pea-dal. It will sizzle dramatically. Stir gently to distribute.
Add garam masala: Add a small pinch of garam masala. Stir once.
Serve: Scatter fresh coriander leaves on top. Serve immediately over steamed rice. The freshness of the peas is best preserved when served right after cooking.
Note: Motorshutir Dal (motor = green peas, dal = lentil soup) is made in every Bengali household from November to February when fresh green peas fill the markets. The combination of moong dal and fresh peas is a Bengali winter classic. Using frozen peas produces a good result but fresh peas create a sweeter, more fragrant dal that cannot be replicated. This dal is particularly popular for the Saraswati Puja feast in January-February.