Green Moong Dal Recipe (Instant Pot)

Green Moong Dal Recipe has been around for years, yet its popularity is not close to what it deserves.

With a full serving of rich, high-quality protein in every bite, green moong dal is one of the most inexpensive superfoods on the market today.

So, today I want to share a recipe to bring the best Instant Pot green moong dal to your kitchen table.

this recipe

About this recipe

This Green Moong Dal Recipe is a lip-smacking dal recipe made with whole green moong dal. It tastes excellent when served with phulkas for a simple meal.

Just with a side of salad, raita, and an Indian pickle make it a sumptuous meal.  What a great option for lunch or dinner. 

You will love this because 

• It is a full protein-packed curry that will deliver the taste on a budget. 
• It's packed with flavors!
• It's made with readily available ingredients.
• It's a  great way to add plant-based protein in your diet. 
• It's freezer-friendly.
• It's vegan and gluten-free.

My dal tadka Instant pot inspired this recipe, which goes well with instant pot jeera rice and wheat naan.

Ingredients notes

• Green whole moong dal: This is also known as green gram or mung bean. Soaking is a must for this recipe to get the right texture and flavor. If you are not soaking, make sure to adjust the cooking time and cook them longer. 
• Tomatoes: Try to use fresh, ripe tomatoes. If you can't find fresh and ripe ones, use ½ cup canned tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
• Ginger: Fresh or powder is fine.  This is a key ingredient you can't miss because it aids digestion and avoids bloating.
• Spices: All the spices give and enhance the authentic flavor of the dal. If you do not have any of these, add a little extra garam masala powder.
• Cooking oil: I used organic coconut oil. Feel free to use vegetable oil, canola, or olive oil.

How to make this recipe

Press saute button and keep it in the medium setting and add oil. When the oil heats up, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute until spices start sizzling. 

Add grated ginger and chopped chilies and saute for 15-30 seconds. Add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.

Add chopped tomatoes and saute them until they soften.

Now add all the spices like red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder or grated turmeric root, and salt. Continue to sauté and mix well. 

Add soaked and drained whole moong dal and one ¾ cup of water. Stir well. Press cancel to stop sauteing and close the instant pot lid.

Press the pressure cooker setting and set the timer for 6 mins on high pressure. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.

It is safe to open the lid only after the pin drops down. 

Open the lid and add fresh lemon juice and cilantro mix well. Green gram curry is ready to serve.

Recipe FAQs

Serving suggestions

My family likes this instant moong dal with gluten-free chapathi and sona masoori rice.

But you have a lot of options like pair with besan roti, spinach paratha, and even with phulka roti.

Top tips

• Note that you must soak the dal to ensure it cooks fast. 
• You can also sprout the dal; it gives the same great taste. Not only that, sprouted dal comes with tons of health benefits. 
• In the end, you can add tadka or tempering with spices and Kasuri methi. But that's optional.
• Rinse and soak the green mung beans for at least 4 hours if you have the time.  You could always use unsoaked beans if you don't have time to soak. But make sure to adjust the time (you need to cook for 20- 25minutes)
• For cooking unsoaked mung beans in a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for up to four whistles. For soaked mung beans, pressure cook for just one whistle.
• If you don't have cumin and coriander powder, then substitute with 1 teaspoon garam masala powder.
• Adding Kashmiri red chili powder to give a nice color to the dal(but this is optional, you could add this instead of red chili powder)

Related recipes

• Oats Dosa Recipe
• Green Gram Dosa
• Moong Dal Ladoo
• Roasted Yellow Moong Dal
• Black Bean Curry

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📖 Recipe

Green Moong Dal Recipe (Instant Pot)

Uma Raghupathi

Green Moong Dal curry has been around for years yet the popularity that it enjoys is not close to what it deserves. With a full serving of rich high-quality protein in every bite, green moong dal is one of the most inexpensive superfoods on the market today.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Share by Email

Prep Time:7 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Soaking Time:4 hours hrs

Total Time:4 hours hrs 22 minutes mins

Course :Side Dish

Cuisine :Indian

Diet :Vegan

Allergen :Dairy free, Soy free

Difficulty :Easy

Servings 4

Calories 259 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Non Stick Pot

Process Shot

Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup dry whole green Moong Dal/ Green Gram
• ▢ 1 onion
• ▢ 2 small tomatoes - or use 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 4 tablespoon water
• ▢ 2 green chilies
• ▢ 2 teaspoon grated ginger
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grated turmeric root - or use ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoon red chili powder - adjust to your spice level
• ▢ 3 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon coriander leaves/ cilantro
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder - if you desired

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Stovetop procedure

• ▢
  Wash and Soak Green Moong Dal for 4 hours. Drain the water and cook the dal with 1 ½ cups water in a non-electrical pressure cooker, allowing 1 whistle.
• ▢
  Place a pan over medium heat and add coconut oil.
• ▢
  When the oil heats up, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add red chilies and curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
• ▢
  Add ginger, green chilies, and grated turmeric roots or turmeric powder and continue to stir well for a minute.
• ▢
  Add onions and saute until they turn translucent.
• ▢
  Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they are soft. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, and red chili powder. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup water and cook for another 2 minutes.
• ▢
  Add salt, cooked green Moong Dal, and stir well. Simmer for 2-3 minutes with a lid on. As the curry starts to boil, switch off the heat. Drizzle some freshly squeezed lemon juice and add chopped cilantro.
• ▢
  Green Moong Dal is ready! Serve hot with rice or rotis!

Instant Pot Method

• ▢
  Press saute button and keep it in the medium setting and add oil. When the oil heats up, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute until spices start sizzling.
  1 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera
• ▢
  Add grated ginger and chopped chilies and saute for 15-30 seconds. Add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and saute them until they soften.
  1 onion, 2 green chilies, 2 teaspoon grated ginger, 2 small tomatoes
• ▢
  Now add all the spices like red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder or grated turmeric root, and salt. Continue to sauté and mix well.
  Salt to taste, 1 teaspoon grated turmeric root, 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1-2 teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• ▢
  Add soaked and drained whole moong dal and 1 ¾ cup water. Stir well. Press cancel to stop sauteing and close the instant pot lid.
  1 cup dry whole green Moong Dal/ Green Gram
• ▢
  Press pressure cooker setting and set the timer for 6 mins on high pressure. When instant pot beeps let the pressure release naturally. It is safe to open the lid only after the pin drops down.
• ▢
  Open the lid and add fresh lemon juice and cilantro mix well.
  3 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves/ cilantro
• ▢
  Green gram curry is ready to serve.

Notes

• Note that you must soak the dal to ensure it cooks fast.
• You can also sprout the dal; it gives the same great taste. Not only that, sprouted dal comes with tons of health benefits.
• In the end, you can add tadka or tempering with spices and Kasuri methi. But that's optional.
• Rinse and soak the green mung beans for at least 4 hours if you have the time. If you don't have time to soak, you could always use unsoaked beans. But make sure to adjust the time (you need to cook for 20- 25minutes)
• For cooking unsoaked mung beans in a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for up to four whistles. For soaked mung beans, pressure cook for just one whistle.
• If you don't have cumin and coriander powder, substitute with 1 teaspoon garam masala powder.
• Adding Kashmiri red chili powder to give a nice color to the dal(but this is optional, you could add this instead of red chili powder)

 

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimation only.

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UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published in March 2018. It was updated in February 2021 with new photos and text.