Varan Recipe

Varan is a Maharashtrian recipe a kind of sambar, a side dish which is usually served with rice. It is simple, quick and healthy recipe. Since I was on a long vacation did not get time to upload recipes from long time. Thought of starting with this simple dish. I make this compulsorily in every week. This was even the amongst the initial dishes that I started giving to my little son. It is easily digestible and can be given with rice / or by soaking chapati in it for kids.

Ingredients:
Moong dal/split and dehusked green gram  - 1/2 cup
Toor dal/ pigeon peas spilt  - 1/4 cup
salt - to taste
ghee / oil - 1 table spoon
mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
cumin seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
curry leaves - 3-4
coriander - few chopped
hing / Asafoetida- pinch of
turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon
garlic flakes - 4-5 chopped
Green chilli - 1-2

Procedure:
1. Mix both dals and wash them. Add a glass of water and cook it in pressure cooker for upto 3 vissels.
2. When the pressure is released from cooker, mash the dal with the help of spoon.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, when heated add  mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic, green chilli and saute for few seconds.
4. Add  turmeric powder and asafoetida and then the cooked dal.
5. Add salt to taste 1/2 to 1 glass of water and allow this to get cooked for 4-5 mins.
6. Garnish this with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati/rice.

Notes:

• When you prepare it for kids you can skip adding green chilli and add little sugar in the dal.
• It tastes authentic if we use ghee instead of oil for tempering.