Mussyang is made from dals of various colours found in various hilly regions of Nepal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
So far, my exploration of the world of dal has mostly focused on the six most popular varieties of dal found throughout India: toor, channa, urad, mung, masoor, and yellow split peas. There are, however, hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of beans in the world, and many of them are found in Indian cuisine. I’m certainly not going to go tracking down every single one, but there are a couple of lesser known varieties that are popular in particular regions of the Indian subcontinent even if they aren’t well known to the wider population.
Massyang dal is one of those. Known in English as “rice beans”, they’re mostly grown in Himalayan regions, and are popular in Nepal. They are small beans, similar in size to mung beans, but a little more elongated. I don’t think they really look like a grain of rice, but are probably closer to that size and shape than most other beans. They come in a variety of colors, mostly on the yellowish green end of the spectrum, although there were some red and black ones in the bag I bought as well.
The recipes I found for them generally kept things pretty simple, letting the beans shine as the stars of the dish, cooked with some onion, garlic and ginger, and just a couple of spices. The final tempering I went with is simply garlic and red chili, but feel free to add other spices to suit your taste.
Like most colorful beans, once cooked massyang unfortunately fade to a uniform brown (there’s a reason I didn’t use a picture of the finished dish for the cover for this post). The first thing I thought of when I opened the pressure cooker and gave them a stir was actually baked beans, with a rich golden brown color. Even that faded to a less attractive shade with the further cooking though. But, what the cooked beans lack in visual appeal they do make up for in flavor (at least if you like beans).
I was unable to find massyang or rice beans listed on Amazon, but MallKO carries several brands*. (Another search of Amazon now turned up Nepali Green Beans*. The picture shows mostly broken beans, not in an attractive split dal kind of way, so I’m not sure I’d order that product).
I didn’t use any this time, but I do list an herb called jimbu in the optional ingredients. Apparently it has a flavor somewhere between onion, chive and garlic, and is generally used dried. MallKO* carries it, and it is available on Amazon*.
Massyang Dal
Serves: 4-6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: ~45 minutes, plus overnight soaking.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
200 g massyang dal (rice beans)
¾ Tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, sliced
¾ Tablespoon garlic-ginger paste
OR
1 small knob ginger, grated
⅓ teaspoon turmeric
⅜ teaspoon red chili powder
Salt, to taste
Water
1 ⅔ teaspoon mustard oil
1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
1 small dried red chili
Optional:
1 teaspoon cumin powder,
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 ½ Tablespoons ghee, in place of mustard oil
1 large pinch jimbu, in tempering
2 tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced (in place of garlic-ginger paste)
Pick over your beans and remove any foreign objects or bad beans. Rinse well, cover with cool water, and leave to soak overnight.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add onion and fry until it begins to brown. Add the garlic-ginger paste and cook for about 30 seconds, then add turmeric and red chili powder and some salt. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain the beans and add to the pot. Mix well and cook for another minute or two.
Add enough water to cover the beans, and seal the pressure cooker. Bring to pressure and reduce heat. Cook at full pressure for about 15 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
Once it is safe to do so, open the pressure cooker, check your beans. They should squish easily between your fingers. If not, close the pressure cooker and bring back to pressure for a few minutes.
Taste the beans and add additional salt if needed. Adjust the consistency by adding water if too thick, or boiling uncovered to reduce the liquid if too watery. You can also mash some (or all) of the beans to help thicken the liquid or make a smoother dal.
Heat mustard oil in a very small pan, and add the minced garlic and whole red chili. Fry until the garlic turns golden, then pour over the dal. Cover and allow the flavors to infuse for a few minutes.
Serve with rice or chapatis.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.
I receive no compensation for mentioning any other websites or product.
Lorin cooks Legumes 
One Comment Add yours