Whole Green Moong Dal is a simple high protein, delicious curry made with green lentils and spices in an Instant Pot or a stovetop pressure cooker.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 360 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 370 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, North Karnataka

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole green mung dal
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 green chilies (split in half)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 2-2.5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • coriander leaves (for garnish)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Spices

  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder ((adjust to your preference))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala ((optional))

Method

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Firstly, rinse and soak moong dal overnight (or for about 4-5 hours in hot water).
  2. Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add oil and once it's hot add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
  3. Add ginger-garlic paste, saute till the ginger-garlic turns aromatic.
  4. Next add onions, green chili and allow to saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent - stir regularly.
  5. Then add tomatoes, dry spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and cook for 1-2 minutes, till tomato turns soft.
  6. Now add soaked moong dal, water, and salt give a stir.
  7. Close the lid on the pot. Set the pot to manual (High Pressure) and set the timer to 3 minutes (for firmer moong beans) or 5 minutes(for softer, broken up moong beans).
  8. Once the pot beeps, manually do a quick pressure release (QR).
  9. Lastly, remove the lid away from you. Mash a few moong beans with the back of the ladle or spoon. This makes the curry thick and creamy. Next, add coriander leaves and lemon juice. Also, adjust the consistency of the dal at this point.
  10. Whole green moong dal is ready and serve hot with any flatbread, boiled rice, roti, quinoa or eat as a soup.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker:

  1. Follow the same steps as Instant Pot. Just cook the green lentils on a stovetop pressure cooker for 2 whistles on medium-high heat, then set the heat to medium-low and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Pressure cooker green moong dal is ready.

Stovetop Pot/Pan Method:

  1. Use a thick-bottomed, deep pot or pan. Follow the same steps as Instant Pot. Add the soaked green moong dal, 3-3.5 cups of water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the green lentils on medium-high flame till done (approximately 15-20 minutes).

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.