Masala is the base ingredients to any Indian vegetable dish or dal soup, which can include the spices and/or trinity roots (onion, ginger & garlic). Here is a Masala recipe that you can cook up ahead of time and freeze to add to your Mung Beans recipe. You can multiply it out depending on how many batches you'll want to freeze up ahead of time. The reason to freeze ahead is to make your job easier when it comes time to make your Mung Beans & Rice recipe. It really cuts down the prep and cooking time.
1/3 cup ghee/clarified butter or olive oil
2 onions chopped
1/3 cup chopped ginger
9 cloves of garlic chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon turmeric
1 heaping teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional)
5 cardamom pods crushed (using the seeds inside)
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 Bay Leaves
You will be freezing separate batches of of masala so to make your job of cooking Mung Beans & Rice easier. Multiply the first set of ingredients to how ever many batches of masala you will be freezing. In other words you will be mutiplying by how ever many batches of Mung Beans & Rice you will be want to make in the future using the cooked separate masala portions you will be freezing.
Saute' the first set of ingredients in the oil or ghee on medium heat in large skillet for 15 to 30 minutes depending on how many batches you multiply by. Be sure to add a little water if the masala sticks to the bottom of the pan and stir every once in a while so you don't burn it. After you saute the above ingredients, then use a cookie sheet to spoon out even portions.
After spooning out even portions onto a cookie sheet, place the rest of the ingredients on top of each portion, you can push the cardomom pods, basil and bay leaves (you'll need enough for all your quantities) down with a spoon so it sticks nicely on top of the cooked masala. You won't be cooking those ingredients until you add it to your cooking Mung Beans recipe. You could also wait and add the bottom set of ingredients into your recipe when you are ready to cook, it's up to you. Then wrap each quantity separately and freeze in separate portions. Be sure to wrap secure so there is no air in your package before freezing.
When it comes to cooking up your Mung Beans & Rice batch, you will put your Mung Beans on the stove in the usually way to cook them, but you'll add the frozen batch of Masala to the cooking Mung Beans. Then after the Mung Beans are done, about 30 minutes if the Mung Beans have not been soaked, you then add your veggies and rice, bring back to a boil, turn down and cover for 20 more minutes and Whaheguru your Mung Beans & Rice are done.
Here is the recipe for the Mung Beans & Rice.
This frozen masala recipe is by Atma K. Khalsa 4/4/08