Pasipparuppu Sadam - Lentil Rice

http://nilasworld.blogspot.com/2006/06/pasipparuppu-sadam-lentil-rice_21.html
When you are in a hurry, you can prepare this one in no time. Dal and rice blend in nicely giving rise to wonderful taste. It is a one-pot wonder and a high protein meal too.


Ingredients

Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Onion (small size) - 1 chopped
Garlic - 7 cloves chopped
Green Chillies - 6
Red Chillies - 5
Tomato - 2 chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Butter or Ghee - 1 or 2 tblspn
Salt to taste

For Tempering

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urid Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Cumin/Seeraham Seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel/Sombu Seeds- 1 tsp

Directions:

1. Pour oil in a pan/cooker and add mustard seeds. Let it crackle and add urid dal, and curry leaves.
2. Add cumin, fennel, and chilles one by one and allow it to fry in the same oil. [careful not to burn the cumin seeds, otherwise it goes bitter]
   
3. Saute onion and garlic till they become light golden brown.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, butter, and salt to the mixture and cook until oil floats on the surface and then add moong dal and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add rice and 3 cups of water and cook until it is done.

Note: Dry roast moong dal (without oil) to a light golden color and soak it for 10 minutes in hot water before cooking. It will lead to soft dal texture, nice aroma and taste. You can add ghee while serving it instead of cooking with it. To get even richer paruppu sadam, add 1/2 a cup of coconut milk while cooking the dal. My mom adds scrapped coconut at the last stage. Yummy :-)