green moong dal also known as green gram dal

Green Moong Dal (Green Gram Dal)

By Swasthi on August 26, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Make this delicious Green Moong Dal Recipe (also known as Green Gram Curry) in the pressure cooker, Instant pot or in a pot on the stovetop. Green gram also known as Mung Bean, green moong dal or whole Moong dal is a lentil that is widely used in Asian cooking. This green dal is used to make curry, stew, stir fry, soup and even sweet dishes. Green gram is also sprouted and added to Noodles and Sprouts salads. In Indian cuisine, these are mostly used to make a curry or dosa like this Pesarattu.

Green moong dal also known as green gram dal

About Green Moong Dal

Green Moong Dal curry is a delicious Indian dish where whole mung beans (Sabut Moong) are cooked with onions, tomatoes, whole & ground spices. It is one of those dishes that is actually cooked in many regions of India.

North Indians call it as Sabut Moong Dal, the Tamil Nadu version is known as Pachai Payaru curry, the Kerala dish is known as Cherupayar Curry & the Andhra version is well-known as Pesalu kura. Surprisingly all these taste different & so delicious!

The recipe I have shared here is the simplest and it makes for a delicious, comforting and hearty meal when served over plain steamed rice or roti. Sometimes we also eat this with Jeera rice, Ghee rice or Turmeric rice.

This recipe can be prepared in a stovetop cooker, instant pot or a regular pot. I have the instructions for all these methods. If using a instant pot, you may cook the rice as well along with the curry.

Most Indians prefer to cook their lentils & legumes in a pressure cooker for convenience & for the lovely texture. A pressure cooker also helps you bypass the soaking step.

Though Green gram can be cooked without soaking, it is best to soak them for at least 3 to 4 hours prior to cooking to avoid tummy problems. The fiber-rich skin on this whole lentils is harder to digest if cooked without soaking, especially when you cook in a pot.

However to cook in the Instant pot I don’t soak them.

More Dal recipes
Dal Makhani
Masoor Dal
Chana dal
Rajma Recipe

Green moong dal recipe made with green gram dal

How to Make Green Moong Dal (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Rinse ½ cup green gram very well. You don’t need to soak them if you use a instant pot, just immerse them in water until you prepare the ingredients & make the masala. But if you are using a pot or an Indian pressure cooker, soak the lentils in enough water for 3 to 4 hours. If you are in a hurry you may bring 1.5 cups water to a rolling boil and turn off. Add the rinsed green dal to the hot water and let soak for at least 45 mins.

Green moong dal soaking in a bowl

2. Prepare the following ingredients:

  • ½ cup fine chopped onions (1 medium)
  • ¾ cup fine chopped tomatoes (1 medium)
  • 1½ teaspoons Ginger garlic paste (¾ inch ginger, 2 to 3 garlic cloves)
  • 1 green chilli (Indian/ Thai or Serrano peppers) Chopped or sliced, optional
onions, tomatoes and chilies for curry

3. Measure and set aside the following:

  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¾ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
spices and curry leaves

Make Green Moong Dal Curry

4. Heat 1½ tablespoon ghee or oil in a pot or cooker (saute mode on Instant pot). When the oil turns hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin & ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (optional). The seeds will begin to splutter, then add curry leaves or bay leaf & green chilies. Saute until a nice aroma comes out, for 30 seconds.

tempering spices

5. Add onions & saute until they turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute until it begins to smell aromatic.

saute ginger garlic

6. Add tomatoes. Cook until they break down and turn mushy. I usually cover and cook at this stage to quicken the process.

cook tomatoes

7. Add all the ground spices and salt – red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and turmeric.

add spices

8. Saute for a minute until the masala smells good.

make onion tomato masala

9. Drain the water from the green moong dal and add them here. Pour 1½ cups water for pressure cooking or 2½ cups if cooking in a pot. Soaked green gram doesn’t need a lot of water. So add carefully. If needed add more later.

green gram with water in a pot

10. To cook in pot, bring it to a rolling boil on a high heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer them on a low to medium heat until cooked through and soft.

simmering green moong dal

11. To cook in pressure cooker, cover and pressure cook for 3 whistles on a medium heat. When the pressure releases, open the lid. If the dal is runny, evaporate the excess by cooking for a little longer. If it is too thick, pour some hot water and give a stir.

Instant Pot: Cover the IP, position the vent to sealing and pressure cook for 12 mins. If using dried mung beans (without soaking) then cook them for 15 mins. Wait for the pressure to release naturally.

pressure mung beans

I usually take off when there is little more moisture in the pot as the curry thickens when it cools down. Taste it and add more salt if needed. To thicken, mash some of the dal.

mash the lentils

Garnish with coriander leaves.

green moong dal garnished with coriander leaves

Top green gram curry with ghee & squeeze in some lemon juice. Serve it with plain rice or roti.

green gram curry

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

green gram curry

Green Moong Dal (Mung Bean Curry)

Green moong dal curry is a delicious protein packed dish made with mung beans, onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. Instructions included to make this in the instant pot & in a regular pot on the stovetop.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • ½ cup green gram (dried whole green moong, mung beans)
  • ½ cup onions fine chopped (1 medium)
  • ¾ cup tomatoes deseeded & chopped or pureed (1 large)
  • 1 green chili chopped (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon ginger minced or paste (¾ inch)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced (or ¾ teaspoon paste)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves or bay leaf
  • 1½ to 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¾ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • cups water (3 cups for pot) (1½ cups for Instant pot)
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves to garnish


Instructions

How to Make Green Moong Dal Curry (Stovetop)

  • Rinse and soak green gram for 3 to 4 hours. Avoid over soaking as the skin begins to separate on its own while cooking. Once soaked, discard the water and rinse them well.
  • Heat a pan or pot or pressure cooker with oil. Add mustard seeds (optional) & cumin seeds. 
  • When they begins to splutter, fry curry leaves & green chilies for 1 minute.
  • Add onions & saute until golden. Add the ginger garlic & fry for a minute.
  • Next add tomatoes & saute until they break down and turn mushy
  • Stir in red chili powder, garam masala & coriander powder. Saute for about 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the green gram and pour water.
  • If cooking in a pot: Cook till the green gram is tender & soft. Add more hot water if required, as you cook.
  • If using a pressure cooker, cook on a medium heat for 3 whistles. When the pressure releases, open the lid.
  • If the curry is runny, mash the green moong dal a bit and cook further for a while until it becomes thick.
  • Pour a teaspoon of ghee before serving. Squeeze in some lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or chapati.

Instant Pot Green Gram Curry

  • Rinse the green moong dal well and keep immersed in fresh water until you prepare the ingredients. Press saute button on your Instant pot and wait for the display to show “HOT”.
  • Pour oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, onions and green chili.
  • Saute until the onions turn light golden. Stir in the ginger garlic & saute for 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Add tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Saute until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
  • Add chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder & turmeric. Saute for 30 seconds & press cancel button.
  • Pour water and mix well at the bottom of the steel insert to deglaze any bits of food stuck. At this stage if you desire you can also blend the onion tomato masala using a hand blender.
  • Drain water from the green gram and add them. (Optional for cooking rice – Place a trivet and then the rice bowl. Cover the rice bowl.)
  • Secure the IP with the lid and position the steam release handle to sealing.
  • Press pressure cook button and set the timer to 12 mins. If using dried mung beans (unsoaked) then cook them for 15 mins.
  • Let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins, then release the rest manually.
  • Garnish green gram dal with coriander leaves. You can also stir in some coconut milk or lemon juice if you want.


Notes

  • If you are cooking in a pot without pressure cooker, it is not essential to soak the green moong dal but soaking improves the flavor and saves cook time
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk can be added towards the end.
  • You can also blend 3 to 4 tbsps of fresh coconut with little water to a smooth paste and add it to the curry along with green moong dal.
  • To finish off, you can also temper the dal with 1 tbsp ghee, a pinch of cumin, 1 dried red chilli, little red chilli powder & a pinch of hing. But the basic dal itself is delicious!

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

Watch Green Moong Curry Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Green Moong Dal (Mung Bean Curry)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 655mg28%
Potassium 585mg17%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 370IU7%
Vitamin C 30mg36%
Calcium 79mg8%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Green Moong Dal Curry first published in November 2014. Updated and republished in December 2019.

Green Moong Dal (Green Gram Dal)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
My wife was sick so tried to make something for her for dinner.. came across your recipe and followed it to every step… it came out delicious… Thanks a lot 🙏.. Do keep posting recipes.. keep up the good work

5 stars
Absolutely delicious green moong! So happy we made a double batch in the instant pot and pressure cooked for 8 mins. They were still al dente, so cooked again for 2 mins. It was perfect and very comforting. I had a cup of coconut milk left from another recipe that I used it here for more sauce. The curry smells amazing!

5 stars
Swasthi, you are a mind reader. This green moong dal reached my fb feed last evening. I am a 79 yr. old woman and never made a curry like this with mung beans. All I have made is a soup with mung beans, rabe and kale. I made this curry today with only a few spices that I use in my other Indian dishes. I use minced ginger garlic for paste and had no green chilies. Still it was delicious. Next time going to add barley. Do you have a suggestion? This is the first recipe I have made from your website and love the way you have put up the pictures. Keep up the good work!

Absolutely love all your recipes, and they are a no fail. Each one turns perfectly. Thank you sharing

5 stars
I made this the other day and it was delicious. My kids loved it. I’m back here a week later using this recipe. Thank you!

5 stars
The curry came out to be delicious… With little variations made… Thanks fr the recipe

5 stars
Thank you for the amazing recipes. This is our favorite dish. I would advice including the instant pot instructions along with the stove top method in the step by step photo section. This reduces too much scrolling for us.

5 stars
Used half cup frozen onion tomato masala and it turned out delicious in the Instant pot with 10 mins high pressure.

5 stars
Made this for the first time in instant pot. It turned out delicious

4 stars
I made this recipe today and it was excellent.
I tried giving your recipe 5 stars but for some reason it didn’t allow it. Thanks for the recipe!

5 stars
Garlicky, slightly zingy, lentil heaven.

I want to make this, I have split yellow moong beans. Would they work in the recipe? I love your recipes when they hit my in box!

5 stars
I am 74 year old young bachelor. Tried this today. It came out awesome. Too good. Simple recipe and easy to follow. Thank you.

5 stars
This recipe is fantastic. Have been using it on a rotation since many years. Sometimes I use cup coconut milk and it tastes even more wonderful. Thank you.

5 stars
Hello Swasthi,
I recently found your website last year while looking for a dal recipe and got addicted to your blog. I cook regularly from here and this recipe is so easy and healthy. This time I used moth bean instead of green gram and it turned out delicious. Thank you for all the good recipes.

5 stars
I am a retired govt officer trying to cook my own meal. I made this curry and tasted very very good. I have followed you on facebook. Keep sending the recipes. Thank you

Hello. If I make this with fresh broad beans, what is a good amount for the 1x amount? Thanks.

5 stars
Thanks for a Great recipe , I have a mung bean recipe I’ve used for years but this one is much nicer. Soaking the beans really does make a big difference.

5 stars
Wow!. Love this recipe very much. Thanks for posting.

5 stars
This was absolutely delicious. I would definitely blend it next time, as suggested in the recipe. also – i didn’t see the garam masala in the IP directions – should it be left out? I will add this to my list of favorites!

Swasthi your method didn’t mention what to do with the haldi or the salt either. It’s cooking at the moment and I’m waiting in eager anticipation 😋

5 stars
Today I tried it .. tastes very nice Thank you Swasthi