November 4, 2021

Vegan Mung Bean Dal Fennel Frond Recipe

For a warm, toasty, stew, this fennel frond recipe mixes the best of flavorful fennel and mung beans together. Mixed with peppers and onions, this warm, smooth and savory porridge has green, vegetal and grassy notes, along with the bright, aromatic nature of fennel fronds. Forget using just a few of the fronds for garnish, this recipe helps you make the most of your vegetables. Serve with a feast of vegetable dishes, or just some freshly made rice, or a few toasty flatbreads to make it a meal.

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What are Fennel Fronds?

Fennel is a member of the carrot family, indigenous to the Mediterranean. When you think of fennel, you most often think of the whitish colored bulb with layers like an Chevron-patterned onion. It has the same sort of flavor as anise or licorice, and takes its place as the star ingredient in absinthe. Fennel bulbs are crisp, crunchy, and flavorful. They can be eaten raw, but they mellow out in flavor a lot when roasted. While the bulb is most commonly eaten, all parts of the fennel plant are edible including the seeds, stems, roots, and as used here, the leaves or fronds. Fronds are typically used more like an herb, and often are used as a slight garnish on a dish. We tried to incorporate a generous amount of them in this recipe however, as I was recently blessed with a particularly beautifully fronded fennel. Fennel is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, being particularly high in manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.

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Looking for Mung Bean Recipes? Try one of these!

What is Dal?

Dal is a word the refers to pulses (beans, lentils, and peas), but is also the name of a dish made from those pulses. When lentils, beans, or peas are slowly cooked down into a porridge-like stew, it becomes the dish dal. Across India and other countries where eating meat is less common, dal is a daily staple and a great source of protein. It is the dish that brings a meal together- vegetables, grains, carbs, salads and more all become one meal with a little help from dal. There is a lot of variety in what bean is used, and what other flavors are brought into the dish. Often flavor is brought in through a seasoned oil, or tarka on top, although this is not a method we used. Now of course, I do not come from a culture that eats dal, and so my recipe is certainly not an authentic one. Instead, it’s my interpretation of dal, using ingredients that are local and in season to me.

How to Make Fennel Frond Mung Bean Dal

Dal is really easy to make. You start with a little oil, and some cumin seeds (I used these ones!), and sauté them until they pop. After that, we will add our onion, garlic, fennel root, ginger, chilis, green peppers, and turmeric, slowly so we get a nice, layered flavor. A little note that if you wanted to use your fennel root for a different recipe, this will also taste fantastic without the root and just with the fronds so feel free to omit it. We’ve included some, to just help reinforce that fennel flavor. After all those elements are cooking, the mung beans get thrown in the pot, and are stirred to coat in the oil. Make sure you use split mung beans, not whole ones. After that, water is added and you bring it up to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. From that point, you can just walk away and allow the mung beans to simmer. As they cook, they will soften and go from individual beans in water to more of a porridge like consistency. Once the mung beans are soft, you can take off the lid. If you prefer a more broth or soup-like dal you can add a little more water if that’s needed. If you prefer a thicker dal, leave the lid off and allow the broth to reduce a little. Once you have your dal at more or less the consistency you like, you can add some vegan butter to the dal for some creaminess. Feel free to add some more if you like! Finally the star- add a healthy amount of the chopped fennel fronds, and stir it around. Don’t cook much more beyond this point, as you don’t want to fronds to loose their beautiful color. Season with salt and pepper, serve warm and enjoy.

Vegan Mung Bean Dal Fennel Frond Recipe

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. cumin seeds
1 small onion, diced
½ cup fennel bulb, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 green chili pepper, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
¼ tsp. powdered turmeric
1 cup dried split mung beans
1 tbsp. vegan butter
½ cup chopped fennel fronds
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat your oil in a large pot, and once hot add the cumin seeds. Once they pop, add the onion and fennel. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute or two before adding the chili and bell pepper. After the peppers have softened, add your turmeric and mung beans and stir well.
And 5 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cook for around 40 minutes, until the mung beans are soft. Remove the lid. If you would like your dal to be more liquid, add some water. If you want it to be more solid, cook, stirring frequently to reduce. Add your vegan butter and fennel fronds, and stir, cooking until the butter melts. Remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice or bread, as desired.

https://veryveganval.com/2021/11/04/vegan-mung-bean-dal-fennel-frond-recipe/

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