Remove the fat stems from the Chaulai leaves; clean any extra grass and other weeds. Wash the leaves 2-3 times with clean water. Place them in a strainer to drain any water that is remaining. Finely chop the leaves. Wash Moong dal with clean water and soak it for 15-20 minutes. Put dal and Chaulai in a cooker. Pour 3 cups of water then add salt. Close the lid and cook dal and Chaulai till 1 whistle goes off.
If you don't prefer much of spices then the dal can be prepared by putting Tadka of Heeng and Jeera. Else you can follow the method given here.
Make a fine paste of tomatoes, green chilly and ginger. Pour Ghee in a pan (kadhai) and heat. Put Heeng and Jeera in hot Ghee, after Jeera is fried add turmeric powder and tomato, green chilly paste. Fry these spices till the spices seem granular or the Ghee floats over them. Then add red chilly powder. Open the cooker and check if the dal is thin or thick in texture then add water till dal turns to your desired density. Now add the fried spices to the dal taste the dal and add salt respectively, also put in green coriander.
Chaulai dal is ready; take it out in a bowl. Serve hot Chaulai dal with chapatti, naan or rice and eat.
Instead of putting tomato, ginger paste in the dal you can put Tadka of Heeng and Jeera which also makes the dal very delicious.
Chaulai besan curry
You can use gram flour (besan) in place of Moong dal while preparing Chaulai.
Pour 1 tbsp oil in a pan and heat, put Heeng and Jeera in hot oil. Once Jeera is fried add turmeric powder, ginger, green chilly-tomato paste and fry all of the spices. Now put the chopped Chaulai leaves cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Dissolve 2 tbsp gram flour in 1/2 cup water, mix this dissolved gram flour in 2 glasses water and stir till it comes to boil. Cook the vegetable for 8-10 minutes on a low flame. Chaulai Besan curry is ready.
Take out the Chaulai Besan curry in a bowl, garnish with green coriander. Serve steaming hot Chaulai Besan curry with chapatti, naan or rice and enjoy.
Onion or garlic Tadka can also be put to the curry prepared in the above given methods.
