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 would like to share a recipe that will bring the best of green moong dal to your kitchen table.
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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
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 then use ½ cup canned tomatoes or 1 tbsp tomato paste.
- Ginger: Fresh or powder is fine. This is a key ingredient you can’t miss because it aids in 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, canola, or olive oil.
How to make this recipe
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.
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 1 ¾ cup water. Stir well. Press cancel to stop sauteing and close the instant pot lid.
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. Green gram curry is ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Serve this with plain rice, or jeera rice or paratha, or roti. You could also serve it like soup with a side of dry toast.
Yes, you can transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and it will stay good for upto two months in the freezer.
Top tips
- Note that you will need to 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 add 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 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 tsp garam masala powder.
- Adding Kashmiri red chili powder to give a nice color to the dal(but this is totally optional, you could add this instead of red chili powder)
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📖 Recipe
Green Moong Dal Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry whole green Moong Dal/ Green Gram
- 1 onion
- 2 small tomatoes
- 2 green chilies
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp grated turmeric root - or use ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder - adjust to your spice level
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves/ cilantro
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.
- 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 1 ¾ cup water. Stir well. Press cancel to stop sauteing and close the instant pot lid.
- 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.
- Green gram curry is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Note that you will need to 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 add 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 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 tsp garam masala powder.
- Adding Kashmiri red chili powder to give a nice color to the dal(but this is totally optional, you could add this instead of red chili powder)
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published in March 2018. It was updated on February 2021, with new photos and text.
Swati Saxena
Mong Dal is my favorite Dal, prepared it today itself with spinach. Your photos make are amazing Uma, they make look food great!
Uma Srinivas
Thank you Swati 🙂
Sandhya
Green mung are a favorite and I am happy to have another recipe, Uma.
Uma Srinivas
Thank you Sandhya! Glad you liked it:)
Bhawana
green moong dal is my favorite with rice. It is more like soup as well for us if roti or rice is not ready. a great recipe share.
Lathiya
I love green gram and I make it different with coconut...this looks delicious.. will try your way too
Vidya Narayan
This is a meal by itself and we usually end up having a bowl of this piping hot dal for dinner in winters. High in protein, keeps you full and very economical, local ingredient not to forget is the best way to keep fit.
Uma Srinivas
We do the same thing as well. Thank you Vidya!
Seema Doraiswamy Sriram
Lovely comforting recipe Uma. it will be so beautiful with some Phulkas
Uma Srinivas
I agree 🙂 Thank you Seema.
Jyoti Babel
One of my favourite dal. I make a similar version with split green moong dal. Ultimate comfort food and so nutritious too.
Uma Srinivas
That’s sounds good too! Thank Jyoti!
Jayashree
Love this one and one of the ideal food for vegetarians. Your looks delicious Uma
Uma Srinivas
Thank you Jayashree!