INGREDIENTS
o 3 T vegetable oil
o 1 cup finely chopped onion
o 1 T peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
o 1 t cumin seeds
o 1/2 t turmeric
o 3/4 t salt, or to taste
o 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander), soft stems included
o 3/4 cup dried yellow mung beans, picked over and washed
o 1 1/2 cups water
o 1/2 t mango powder
o 1/2 t garam masala
o 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)
o 45 to 50 firm cherry tomatoes
o 3 cups baby greens or sprigs fresh parsley
METHOD
Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over moderately high heat and cook the onion and ginger, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric, and salt, then add the cilantro and stir until wilted.
Add the mung beans and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan partially (to prevent the froth from spilling over), and cook the beans until all the water is absorbed and the beans are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Stir in the mango powder and garam masala and set aside. Add some chopped jalapeno peppers if you wish to make the filling spicy hot.
Spread the greens on a large platter. Cut a thin slice from the top of each cherry tomato and scoop out the pulp and seeds with a small spoon (a grapefruit spoon works well). Fill each tomato with the cooked beans and arrange on the platter and serve.
The platter can be assembled 8 to 10 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The mung beans can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.