Mung Dal Yogurt Soup

Todays recipe is a vegetarian dish .Its a stew that uses yogurt,mung dal and tomatoes as main ingredients.
Nutritionally ,yogurt is similar to milk ,being rich in proteins, B vitamins ,calcium and phosphorus. It is widely acclaimed as a health food as it contains small amounts of healthy bacteria which help protect the body against infection and the effects of stress.One of my earlier article on yogurt can be read here

There are over 1000 legumes species. Pulses and legumes are in the class of vegetables that includes beans, peas, lentils and garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. Beans and Lentils have been found in 5,000 year old settlements in the Eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, in Egyptian pyramids, Hungarian caves, Britain and Switzerland, in even earlier civilizations like Peruvian Indians, Middle Eastern and East Indian civilizations. Beans and Lentils are thought to have originated from the wild lentils that still grow in India, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries.
This stew recipe uses Mung/moong split without shells/skin. This yellow dal doesn't need to be soaked and are easy to cook and digest. These beans can also be boiled and mashed in soups, stews, and sauces.In Ayurveda, split moong dal is recommended for children, elderly people and convalescents as it is easily digested.
More on dals here

60gm mung dal
3 cups water
2 medium tomatoes(chopped)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 cloves garlic (pounded)
1 tsp peppercorns,coarsely pounded
¼ tsp asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
½ cup yogurt mix with ½ cup water

Tempering:
1 tsp ghee
2 dried chillies(cut into a few parts,you can deseed if desired)
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek
2 sprigs curry leaves

In a microwaveable bowl, place washed mung dhal, 3 cups water,chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and cumin powder.Microwave for 35mins. My microwave has oven function,therefore its a standard heat , there is no medium or high .Leave the dhal to cool.Place it in a blender, and make into a fine paste. If too thick add some water.
Place the paste in a bowl again, add in pounded garlic and peppercorns.Microwave for another 10mins .Take out, add in salt and mix in yogurt mixture. In a separate microwave bowl, place ghee.Microwave for 45secs. Add in dried chillies,mustard,cumin seeds,fenugreek and curry leaves.Microwave further for another minute.Take out and add in asafoetida powder .Pour into the dal mixture.Give a stir .Serve with rice .

The above recipe is heading its way to a few events:

Food For 7 Stages Of Life:Food for ailments and old age hosted by Sourashtra Kitchen and Sudeshna
MEC-Healthy Food Event started by Srivalli and now hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food
Delicious Dals Event hosted by Suma of Veggie Platter
Cooking With Seeds-Cumin Seeds Event started by Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes ,hosted at present by Sara's Corner
My Legume Love Affair(MLLA)-23 hosted by The Well Seasoned Cook