Moong dal is a simple, delicious & healthy Indian lentil side made with skinned mung lentils & spices. This recipe will give you a very flavorful dish that you can serve with plain rice, roti or with any flat breads. Instructions for instant pot and stove top included.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 2 minutes
  • Cook time: 28 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 · 2 people
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup moong dal ((yellow mung lentils))
  • ¼ cup onions/ shallots ((optional, 1 small fine chopped))
  • ½ cup (1 medium) tomatoes ((deseeded & chopped))
  • 1 tablespoon oil (or ghee)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ginger ((peeled & fine chopped))
  • 1 green chili ((slit or chopped, deseeded if required))
  • 4 to 5 curry leaves ((or 1 bay leaf))
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1¾ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves, optional))
  • ½ teaspoon amchur ((optional, dried mango powder or 1 tbsp lemon juice))
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil or butter)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds ((optional))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 6 to 8 curry leaves ((optional))
  • ⅛ teaspoon hing ((asafoetida, optional))
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

Method

  1. Add moong dal to a bowl and rinse them thrice. Soak in 1¾ to 2 cups water until you chop and prepare the rest. (If you don't have a cooker, soak them in hot boiling water for 30 mins before you proceed with the below steps)

How to Make Moong Dal (Stovetop)

  1. Heat oil in a cooker or pot and add cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add ginger, green chilies and 4 to 5 curry leaves. Fry until aromatic for about a minute and add onions if using. Saute until transparent for 2 to 3 mins.
  2. Add tomatoes and salt. Saute for 1 to 2 mins. Stir in turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala. To bring out the flavors, optionally saute for 1 to 2 mins.
  3. Add the moong dal along with the soaked water. Mix well to deglaze the bottom of the cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles on a medium flame.
  4. When the pressure drops, open the lid and add kasuri methi and amchur. If you prefer you can mash the moong dal a bit. Taste test and add more salt if required.
  5. Moong dal is ready at this stage and you can serve it as is. For extra flavour you may proceed to the next steps.

Tempering

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan, on a medium flame. Add the crushed garlic and dried red chillies. Let the garlic fry a bit but not brown.
  2. Turn down the heat to low and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Turn off the heat and stir in red chilli powder and hing.
  3. Pour this over the moong dal and mix gently. When the dal cools down a bit squeeze some lemon juice and serve.

Instant Pot Moong Dal

  1. Pour oil or ghee to the steel insert of the Instant pot and press the saute button. When the oil turns slightly hot, add cumin seeds & curry leaves or bay leaf, followed by ginger, green chilies and onions.
  2. Saute onions for 1 to 2 mins. Stir in turmeric, red chilli powder & garam masala. Press Cancel. Add tomatoes, moong dal & pour water. Deglaze the pot well.
  3. Optionally if you want, you may place a long legged trivet and place your rice bowl over that. You will use only short grain rice here. The cook time for basmati won’t match.
  4. Secure the IP with the lid and position the steam release valve to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 10 minutes.
  5. Let pressure drop naturally. Open the lid, add kasuri methi & give a good stir. Taste test and adjust salt. If the consistency is too thick, you may pour some boiling hot water and mix.
  6. Though you can serve the moong dal at this stage, since this recipe is for a moong dal tadka, make an additional tadka (next step).
  7. Heat ghee in a small pan on a medium heat. Add crushed garlic cloves and red chilies. When the garlic begins to smell good, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves (optional).
  8. Turn off the stove and stir in red chilli powder and hing (optional). Pour this all over the Instant pot moong dal. Before serving give a gentle mix and add some coriander leaves. Squeeze in some lemon juice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.