Pepe Diye Bhaja Moog-er Dal (Bengali Style Yellow Moong Dal with Raw Papaya)

Well, this may not look or sound much appetising, but on the contrary it is both delicious and nutritious. Bengalis love their vegetables a lot, as opposed to the widespread idea that they are all about their love for sweets and fish. But it definitely is beyond that. So when I started this blog, I was speaking to a friend of mine. She is a Bengali girl but a probashi (the one who is not from West Bengal). She appreciated my idea of putting these lesser known foods we consume and the vegetarian fare we Bengalis have, on my blog. We all know papaya is an extremely nutritious food, especially for people with some gastrointestinal ailments. In Bengal, we consume pepe sheddho (boiled mashed raw papaya) typically with raw mustard oil and salt. The parents tell us to consume pepe (papaya) in any form, be it ripe or boiled or in dal or as a sabji; and tell us the numerous health benefits it has. This food is also good for weight watchers as papaya is very low in calories and glycemic index. It is a boon for people with liver ailments or jaundice patients as it helps in cleansing of the internal system. 😊😊😊

Now that I have talked enough to set the stage, I will quickly put down the recipe of the raw papaya dal we have in a typical Bengali household. We had a small size papaya and since it was not sufficient to make a sabji, the first thing that came across my mind is pepe diye bhaja moog-er dal. It essentially translates to raw papaya with dry roasted yellow moong dal. The roasting of the moong dal imparts a distinct flavour to it, which makes the food even tastier. This dal needs some basic ingredients as I prefer to cook using minimal raw materials and can be done within half an hour. 😊😊😊

Ingredients:

Raw papaya - 1 small, peeled, de-seeded and cubed
Yellow moong dal - 100 gms
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds/ jeera - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 1.5 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Dried red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Water - 2-3 cups

Procedure:

Firstly, dry roast the moong dal till it turns light brown in color. Keep stirring to avoid burning it. Now, cool it down a bit and wash thoroughly. Then, in a pressure cooker, add the roasted moong dal and cubed raw papaya, with 2-2.5 cups of water. Add turmeric powder and a teaspoonful of salt and cover the lid of the cooker. Keep the flame medium low and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure release on its own and open the lid. The dal should be ready with the desired consistency. Now, in a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add the bay leaf, the dried red chillies and the cumin seeds. When it starts to splutter, add the boiled papaya and dal from the cooker to the pan. Add the remaining water (or as necessary). Mix it well, check for the salt once and adjust accordingly. Put the sugar and stir and cook for a minute. Cover it and cook for another two minutes or so. Switch off the flame, and the pepe diye bhaja moog-er dal is ready to serve. It can be consumed with plain rice and some fritters or with whole wheat parathas accompanied with pickle.