Poached Eggs on Indian Spiced Green Moong Dal
A poached egg on top of a warm Indian spice flavoured Green Moong Dal, and some sauteed vegetables - this is one of my favourites recipe for a high protein and low carb meal.
Poached Eggs or Boiled Eggs?
Eggs and lentils are a cheap yet delicious source of protein. Making beautiful hard-boiled eggs for our breakfast is not a challenge. But, making perfect poached eggs on a busy morning can sometimes be challenging. Whenever we go out for a weekend brunch, I am one of those people who never get tired of ordering poached egg for breakfast. A poached egg is my love.
How to poach eggs with an Egg Poacher?
Making poached eggs is a simple process; you need to be attentive and present while you are making poached eggs. Water, timing, temperature; these are the few points you need to keep in mind to make the perfect poached eggs.
I often get messages to share some quick and easy recipes from students or people who just moved Australia for their job. In my opinion, eggs are not only a great source of protein but we can create many recipes with eggs. The recipes with poached eggs are my personal favourite.
Everten has an amazing kitchenware collection along with this AVANTI Egg Poacher. It is also worth mentioning that Everten has four interest-free payment options too.
If you are a student or you are someone who is in the process of buying kitchenware or cookware for your kitchen on a budget, then my biggest tip will be to consider quality instead of doing a quick set up with cheap products that are not bio-degradable and not environmentally-friendly. Long term of low quality products use can be the cause of health damage, so invest in some good quality kitchenware and cookware.
An Egg Poacher is a practical solution if you want to make perfect poached eggs without being worried. It is so easy to make. All you need to do :
- Fill the egg poaching pan with 1/2 inch water.
- Set the pan over medium heat.
- Bring the pan to a simmer.
- Grease each cup either with butter, oil or ghee. ( you need just two drops of oil for all four cups), place the cup in the given metal ring.
- Crack an egg for each cup, cover the pan and cook to your desired doneness.
- For a runny yolk, you need to cook for 2 minutes.
Time Management in the Kitchen
Combining active and passive work is one of my favourite time management strategy in the kitchen. So if you love to enjoy a runny yolk poached egg, your hands are free for two minutes to put the bread slices into the toaster or cut your fruits. Without being worried about your perfect desired poached egg while multitasking in the kitchen is an accomplishment, isn’t it?
High Protein, Low Carb Meal!
My whole life I used to believe that I can do anything, I mean anything, but I can’t live a day without carbs and sweets! I have an intense love affair with carbs! To be very precise, I love my roti and parathas over cereals for my breakfast. But, as you know, every love story has to have a villain who makes the relationship complicated! The same thing happened to me!
It’s been a couple of years I was feeling tired and body ache was a real cause for my depression. Finally, at the end of 2019, you know that time of the year when we all make some new year resolutions! After almost six years, I decided to go to the gym again, and I knew that I needed a guide and a push from outside, so I started working with my trainer and nutritionist.
After two-three sessions working together, she told me Shyamali, ”your body is inflamed, and if you want to see the progress, you need to follow gluten-free, low carb and high protein meals for a couple of months”!
What???
If you love your carbs and sweets, you hear me, my friend! You can feel my level of frustration, stress!
Making low carb, high protein, and gluten-free meals for the next couple of months was a real challenge for me.
Determinations are more powerful than resolutions!
But, this time, I didn’t make the new year resolution. I was determined to take charge of my health, and I decided to get rid of all the body pain. I wanted to feel more energetic, stress-free and relaxed. So in January 2020, I took the challenge. I decided to take baby steps. “21 days of low carb high protein Indian food challenge.”
I knew that if I had to follow this diet at a stretch for longer than a month, I would end up eating more high carb and sugar-loaded food. After all, we all know that food is our biggest stress reliever.
During this period, I started playing with my meal plan and meal prep skills.
Surprisingly, not a single day, did I feel about quitting my challenge. I included different types of lentils, veggies in my weekly meals. I soak lentils into the water the night before my weekly meal prep day. Then, the next day, either I boiled the lentils, or I drain the lentils and keep in the refrigerator for weekly meals.
If I couldn’t cook anything, lentils and eggs used to be my easy access for high protein, low carb meal. To make my meals more nutritious, colourful, I make stir-fried vegetables or sauteed vegetables. I cook plain rice or roti for my little girl and my husband.
After 21 days, I started taking rice, but nowadays, after taking 4-5 spoons of rice, I feel full. I guess without depriving myself, I am progressing in the process of ”portion control.” Lentils, eggs and spices = various easy to do and budget-friendly meals! If your pantry is well-stocked and doing meal prep is a ritual in your kitchen, then with these ingredients, you can put together tons of budget-friendly, delicious and healthy meals.
Spiced dal, sauteed vegetables and a poached egg – this is one of my favourite combinations for busy days.
This recipe is versatile, you can use any lentils you have in your pantry, or lentils you have decided to cook on a particular week.
Q: Can I use canned Lentils or Beans? A: Yes, sure, you can. But it is better made with dried lentils for two reasons. 1. Dried beans are more economical, and you only need 10 minutes of extra cook time. (You don’t need to do anything) 2. You will get a better texture.
Q: Is this a Dal curry or Dal Soup? What is the texture of the dish? A: Well, I prefer to call it Dal only. The texture of the dish is thick, and it is easy to scoop with Roti, Bread or Paratha. For a gluten-free meal, you can enjoy it on a bed of steamed rice. But, any Dal tastes delectable, when you pour a teaspoon of ghee on the top!
Poached Eggs on Indian Spiced Green Moong Dal Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup or 200g Green Moong Beans 1 sliced red onion (approx 90g or ½ cup) 1 tomato chopped( 120g or ½ cup) Grated ginger 10g or 1 ½ inch 2 cloves of Grated garlic 6g 2 green chillies chopped ( optional) A handful of coriander leaves 3 Tbsp unflavoured white oil ( canola, vegetable, sunflower choose what your heart desire) ½ tsp Sugar Salt to taste
Whole spices:
½ tsp Cumin Seeds ⅛ tsp fenugreek seed 1 Bay leaf 1 dry red chilli Ground spices: ½ tsp Turmeric 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Garam masala
Instructions:
Cooking Dal:
- Wash the lentils a couple of times with running water, then soak in the water for at least 5-6 hours, overnight is always better. Cover with a lid. Next day, drain the water and your lentil is ready to cook.
- Over medium heat, heat up the oil in a heavy-duty cooking pot. Once the oil is hot reduce the heat to low and add red chilli. Bay leaf, cumin seeds and fenugreek seed. Give a quick stir with a cooking spatula.
- Add sliced onion, increase the heat to medium, sprinkle salt just for the onion, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add chopped tomato, cook for a minute, then add grated ginger and garlic and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, or until the raw smell of the garlic is removed.
- After that except Garam masala, add all the ground spices, cook for a few minutes. If required, splash a little bit of water to prevent the spices from burning.
- Time to add soaked lentils, give a good mix and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Adjust the heat from medium to medium-high.
- When you see that the oil is releasing from the spice and lentil mixture, that means add 600ml warm water.
- Switch the heat from medium to high. Over high heat, continue cooking until the liquid reaches the boiling point and starts bubbling up.
- When it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and cook until lentils are fully cooked. It might take 20 minutes.
- After 15 minutes remove the lid, give the lentils a quick stir with a spatula, sprinkle garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, green chillies, and put the lid back on. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked, but hold its texture. Remove from the heat, give 5-10 minutes resting time.
Poaching Eggs:
- Fill your egg poaching pan with ½ inch water, set over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Lightly oil your egg poaching cups, and place them in the pan, crack an egg into each cup, cover the pan with a lid and cook to the desired doneness.
- For runny yolk 2 minutes and for firm yolk 4 minutes should be fine. Repeat the process for remaining eggs.
- Take a plate, place the cooked lentil, then place a poached egg on it, sprinkle pepper and salt.
- Enjoy as it is or you can serve with plain rice or bread.
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