Oven Roasted Mung Dal...why stop at just one!!

Oven Roasted Mung Dal…so this week (or whatever is left of it!) has been declared a 'movie night week' by yours truly...one movie every night (or maybe two!!)…so I munched on this last night while the man had this first and then some (and by some I mean bucket loads!!) butter laden popcorn…now off I go to figure out which movie(s) it will be tonight ( and what to snack on!! J) 

Oven Roasted Mung Dal

Ingredients:

• Mung Dhuli Dal/ Split Skinless Mung,, 1 cup
• Water, as needed to wash and soak dal
• Oil, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Red Chili powder/Cayenne Pepper or Kashmiri Chili powder/Paprika, to taste (optional)

  

Instructions:

Rinse the dal well and soak them in a large bowl in plenty of water for 3-4 hours.

Drain the water from the dal completely using a fine mesh strainer.

Spread the dal on clean dish towel and leave to dry for couple of hours. Ensure that the dampness is gone and dal is completely dry.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.

Transfer the mung dal into a dry bowl and mix well with the oil and salt. Take your time and ensure the dal is coated well with the oil.

Once coated, spread out the dal in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and place in the preheated oven.

Roast for 12-15 minutes or until light golden and crispy. Turn and stir/shake every 4-5 minutes so it doesn’t burn.

If using red chili powder, sprinkle it on the dal right when it is out of the oven and still hot.

Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes and it is ready to eat!

Notes:

• Goes without spoiling for a week to ten days in an airtight container HOWEVER, tastes much better when fresh. So try and make only as much as you think you will be able to consume in a day (or two)

• Dal must be completely dry before putting in the oven as otherwise will end up being soggy, so don’t skip on that dish towel step.

• Don’t over crowd the tray – must be in single layer with enough space. If you are doubling the quantity, please bake in batches.

• Don’t wait for the dal to brown – brown means burnt. Remove and shake the tray after every 4-5 minutes. If you see that it is getting brown, just lower the oven temperature to 160C and cook it a little longer.

• Don’t be tempted to increase the oil quantity!!

• Just to be clear on the dal used…it is the yellow one in the below picture