Tomato Dal - mixed style

Ingredients:

• Moong dal- 1 1/2 cup (Pesara pappu) (Split green gram without skin)
• Water- 2 cups
• Tomatoes- 6-8 medium sized, cut into small pieces
• Onion- 1 small, chopped
• Green chilies- 4-6 slit vertically
• Curry Leaves- 6-8
• Coriander leaves- a small handful, roughly chopped
• Salt- 1 tsp or more
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp or less

For Tempering:

• Oil- 2-3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chilies- 2 broken into pieces
• Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak the moong dal in 1cup of water for 10 minutes.
2. Cook till it gets soft and mushy. The dal cooks easily and it will take about 15 minutes in a pan. 
3. Or you can cook it in a small cooker for 3 whistles.
4. To this cooked dal add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and mix.
5. Prepare tempering simultaneously, by heating oil in a small pan.
6. To that oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and asafoetida.
7. As the mustard splatters add the green chilies, curry leaves and onion. 
8. Saute for 2 minutes till the onion is translucent.
9. Now add this tempering to the dal and mix.
10. Grate ginger and garlic directly into the dal. Make sure the heat is in simmer all times and use a heavy bottom pan or dish. 
11. Add water to wash off the grater and let it cook for 12 - 15 minutes til you get the desired consistency. 
12. Add the lemon juice before turning of the heat and mix well. Top with coriander leaves and serve with rice, roti, puri or jowar roti. 

Notes:

1. You can add crushed ginger garlic for this instead of grating. But use fresh paste for maximum flavor.
2. Onion can be added directly to the dal and cooked.