It was warm enough to eat outside on the sparkling November afternoon Melissa Inge cooked Mung Dal for me. We set the table on the back porch of her Fairhope cottage while yellow leaves drifted down like confetti from the canopy of tree branches overhead. She served the dal in ceramic bowls, alongside warm, fluffy pita bread and mixed greens sprinkled with feta cheese.

     Mung Dal is made from hulled and cooked mung beans. The word ‘dal’ refers to any stew made from dried beans. The tiny, unassuming mung bean is native to the Indian subcontinent and it’s been a staple of the Indian diet for at least 3,500 years. In the west, it’s gaining a reputation as a ‘super food’ because it’s higher in fiber than fruits, vegetables or whole grains.

     This bean’s soluble fiber absorbs cholesterol in the intestines, keeps it out of the bloodstream and then carries it out of the body. It’s low in saturated fat, low in sodium, and it benefits the immune system and metabolism. It helps protect the body against diseases like cancer and diabetes.

      In her travels twelve years ago, Inge happened to hear about an Ayurvedic clinic in Seelisberg, Switzerland, where she could experience a ten-day cleansing regimen of diet, meditation, nutritional education and general body purification. “I’m so grateful that I stumbled upon the Ayurvedic no-nonsense, healthy approach to diet at that clinic,” Inge says now.

      Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing system, dates back 5,000 years. The term ‘Ayurvedic’ has Sanskrit roots: ‘ayus’ means life and ‘vid’ means wisdom. Lunchtime at the clinic, where the menu was created by an Ayurvedic doctor, routinely included Mung Dal, rice and steamed vegetables. Mung Dal became part of the healthy eating habits Inge carried back home from Switzerland.

     “Mung Dal doesn’t look like much when you make it, but I’ve never had anyone taste it and not like it,” Inge tells me. After one spoonful at lunch with her, I knew why.

 MUNG DAL

1 cup mung beans, well rinsed.

    You can buy mung beans in health food stores, mid-eastern markets and international

    groceries.

6 cups cold water

Add mung beans and bring water to a boil.

   Do not put a top on the pot while beans heat up to a boil.

Lower the heat to simmer.

   Put the top partially on the pot so steam can escape during cooking.

Add 2 bay leaves.

As the beans cook, skim off the foam that bubbles up to the top of the water.

Simmer the beans approximately 30 mins. or until they’re slightly soft but a bit crunchy.

Half-way through cooking time, add and sauté:

   1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter) or regular butter

   1 tablespoon  fresh minced ginger

   1 tablespoon  fresh minced garlic

   1 tablespoon curry powder

   A sprinkling of Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning (Melissa is a huge fan of Tony’s).

   Adjust seasoning to your taste.

Keeps several days in the refrigerator.