Whole moong dhal masala/ curry

This recipe is an adaptation of my friend's. She had served this curry for dinner a couple of years back and being a newbie at cooking, I was instantly attracted by the simplicity and the taste of this curry at the same time. I noted the recipe from her that night and have been making this ever since. During the years, I tweaked it to suit our taste but it is a hit every time. The ingredients and preparation is also a very easy one, it just takes a couple of minutes to cook this. You can also make this like a one-pot dish by adding everything in a pressure cooker (omit the sautéing in this cake) and cooking for the usual time.  I usually make this curry for lunch with rice and any spicy fried side dish for lunch and for dinner we have the same curry for rotis or dosas.  These days, I prepare these kinds of dishes, so all the cooking for the day is done at one time, and I can spend the rest of the evening taking my kids to the park or just spending time with them and not worry about dinner.

Ingredients:
1. Whole moong dhal, 1 cup.
2. Small onions, peeled and diced, 1 cup.
3. Tomatoes, 2, diced finely.
4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
5. Turmeric powder, a pinch.
6. Chili powder  or sambar powder, 1 teaspoon.
7. Garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
8. Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
9. Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Salt as per taste.
11. Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for garnishing.

Preparation:
Wash the moong dhal and cook them with the turmeric powder until they are soft. I used a pressure cooker to cook the dhal (with enough water to cover them for up to 10 minutes for 3 whistles). Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.  Now add the chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt and keep sautéing under low flame until everything is well blended. Add the cooked moong dhal now along with a cup of water, mix everything well, and cook for 5 minutes under low flame and the curry thickens up a little. Serve with rice, chapathis, idlis or dosas.

Variations:
Two slit green chiles can also be added along with the tomatoes during the sautéing process.