Moong dal is the most basic lentil dish made in most Indian homes. This moong dal recipe will give you delicious & healthy dish that you can enjoy with plain rice, roti, Paratha, naan or even with any flavored rice like Jeera rice, basmati rice or Ghee rice. We usually serve moong dal with rice. Along with pickle, papad & raita it makes a complete meal.
If you have kids or folks at home who do not like moong dal then this recipe is a must try for them as the taste of this is unique and delicious. This healthy moong dal can also be served to toddlers & babies after 10 months, just minus chilies.
Moong dal is one of the most favored dal or lentils in Indian cuisine as it is easily digestible. Mung beans or moong dal is said to be tridoshic & can balance any disturbances in the body. Hence it is also used to make Dal khichdi and Moong dal dosa. Yellow moong dal is split & dehusked green gram. These are fairly quick to cook and gentle on the stomach.
More Dal recipes
Chana dal
Masoor dal
Dal makhani
Dal fry recipe
Moong dal recipe
Moong dal recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for moong dal recipe
- ½ cup moong dal (or skinned split green gram)
- 1 ½ cups water (to cook dal)
Tempering ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil (or ghee or butter)
- 1 red chili (broken )
- ½ tsp cumin (or jeera)
- ¼ to ½ tsp mustard (optional)
- 1 Pinch asafoetida or hing (skip if you don’t have)
- 1 sprig curry leaves or bay leaf (optional)
- 1 to 2 green chilies chopped (use as needed)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic grated or crushed
Spice powders for moong dal
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
- 1/8 tsp garam masala (optional)
Other ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 large tomato chopped or pureed
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves (optional)
- ¼ to ¾ cup water (more or less for consistency)
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves (or cilantro finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or dry mango powder) as needed
Instructions
How to cook moong dal
- Rinse moong dal thrice in a pot or pressure cooker with ample amount of water. Drain the water completely.
- Pour 1½ cups water and cook on a medium heat until soft. If cooking in pressure cooker allow to whistle twice or thrice.
- If you like smooth & creamy dal then mash it well.
Tempering moong dal
- Pour ghee or oil to a hot pan. Add mustard, cumin & red chili. Let them pop.
- Next add green chilies, ginger garlic & curry leaves. Fry until a nice flavor comes out.
- Then fry onions until transparent. Next fry tomatoes until soft & mushy.
- Add turmeric, salt, if desired garam masala and chilli powder (optional). Saute for a min until aromatic.
- Transfer cooked moong dal. Then pour water if needed to bring the dal to a desired consistency. Dal is usually made to a thick but of pouring consistency.
- Stir and cook till it begins to bubble.
- Optional – Add kasuri methi and amchur if using. Stir and switch off.
- Squeeze in some lemon juice when the moong dal cools down a bit.
- Serve moong dal with rice, roti or any Indian bread.
Notes
This recipe can also be made with whole green gram or whole mung beans. Soak them for at least 4 hours before cooking.
Nutrition
How to moong dal
1. Rinse ½ cup dal few times until the water runs clear. Cook with 1½ cups water till soft.
2. It can be cooked in a pressure cooker for one to 2 whistles on a medium flame. When the pressure goes off, open the cooker and mash it to smooth if you like.
3. Heat ghee or oil in a pan, saute mustard, cumin and red chilies.
4. When the mustard begin to splutter, add grated ginger garlic and slit or chopped green chili. You can also add curry leaves if you have as it lends a good aroma and is healthy too.
5. When the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off, add a pinch of hing and then chopped onions.
6. When the onions turn lightly pink, add chopped tomatoes. Fry until they turn soft and raw smell disappears.
7. Add turmeric and salt. You can also saute further until tomatoes turn very soft and mushy. You can also add half tsp chili powder and 2 pinches of garam masala if you like.
8. Add ¾ cup water.
9. Add mashed dal. Stir and bring everything to a boil.
10. Add crushed kasuri methi and amchur powder. Kasuri methi can be replaced with coriander leaves, but the flavor turns out different. If you do not have amchur powder, add lemon juice just before serving. Add more salt if needed.
Serve moong dal fry with plain rice, jeera rice or paratha.
Shweta says
Swathi
I tried this recipe this morning. I used lemon juice instead of amchur
The dal is exceptional. It is so nurturing and delicious.
Thank you for this blog and your generous sharing.
I also tried the yellow mong dal Dosa and they are also too tasty.
swasthi says
Welcome Shweta
Thanks for trying the recipes. lemon juice tastes so good in any dal. Glad to know the recipes turned out well.
🙂
Sumi Thomas says
Dear Swasthi,
Thankyou for your wonderful food blog.I have cooked your recipes.You have explained so well with pictorial presentations.Keep up the good work…Thanks a ton once again.
Tarun says
Very yummy daal
swasthi says
Thank you
Lisa says
Yummy. Very very delicious moong dal. Thank you so much.
swasthi says
Welcome Lisa
Shewtha says
Yummy
swasthi says
Thank you
Danielle Raso says
Very good! Served with beans curry and spinach rice. Did not have some of these ingredients (hing.. mango powder), but still so good without. Added a little lime to brighten it up. It would be helpful to me if you told me what consistency to cook the dal to next time. I think I did it right but haven’t cooked green moong dal before and its very easy to both overdo and under-do 🙂
Thanks!
swasthi says
You are welcome Danielle Raso,
Thanks a lot for the comment. The consistency of the dal is a personal choice. I make it very smooth, creamy and thick but of pouring consistency. But this consistency will turn too thick when it cools down completely. For serving later it is good to make it slightly runny.
Green moong dal tastes good if cooked to a thick, grainy consistency(just cooked) and not mushy.It usually needs less water.
I will update the post with the details of consistency.
Thanks again.
Phil says
Absolutely delicious. I’ve tried about 10 of your recipes and they’re all outstanding. Thank you so much for sharing and photographing each step which makes it really easy to follow. Greetings from Germany!
swasthi says
Hello Phil,
You are welcome.
Glad to know the recipes have been useful.
Thanks for trying.
Rani says
Hi there! Just checking…in step 9, when you add the mashed dhall, is the white ingredient on top yogurt?
Thanks.
swasthi says
Welcome Rani
That’s just the mashed moong dal. There is no yogurt used. Usually organic and aged moong dal turns very light in color. It was very soft cooked as we like it smooth.
Dipesh Kataria says
This is excellent!
Supriya Pujari says
Hello.
I have been accessing your recipes regularly.
They are simple..easy to follow….and the dishes turn out very delicious.
Thank you for sharing your recipes,,,???
Johanna says
Delicious. Here in Germany I cannot get fresh curry leaves, but used dried ones instead. That also worked fine. Love your blog.
swasthi says
Thanks Johanna
Glad to know dal turned out good.
Swapna says
Excellent dishes
swasthi says
Thanks Swapna
Megha says
Absolutely loved the flavours..!
swasthi says
Thanks Megha
tabassum says
I like all recepie really very easy to cook thanks
swasthi says
welcome Tabassum
Najma says
Tried it first time. Delicious thank you. Ur recipes r too good
swasthi says
Welcome Najma
Happy to know you liked the recipes. Thank you
Sahiba says
Your receipts are just awesome
swasthi says
Thanks Sahiba
Saniya says
So simple and easy. Delicious love ur recipes
swasthi says
Thanks Saniya
Nisa Homey says
We make a similar curry with coconut and a wee bit of jeera grinded together. parippu curry is one of my favorite…would give ur version a try.
veena says
comforting dal.. So simple too