The green moong dal is a healthy, comforting, and hearty meal served with rice. It is made quickly in an instant pot (as we are using in this recipe), but if you do not have an instant pot you can cook moong dal on the stove. It will take a longer time to cook without the instant pot, so have patience.
All sorts of lentils are very popular in India and they cook lentils every single day. The moong dal is packed with protein and other healthy nutrients. The main ingredients you need to make this dish are moong dal, onion, tomato, and spices.
There is one extra step of tadka/tempering with ghee, cumin seeds, hing, garlic, and kashmiri red chili powder for color. This tadka adds a unique taste to moong dal but it is optional. You can skip this step if you do not want to add tadka.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole green gram beans (sabut moong dal)
- 1 tablespoon oil 15 ml
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 cups water 24 oz
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lemon juice of
Tadka/Tempering
- 2 teaspoons ghee 10 ml
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
How to cook green moong dal
Soak the moong dal for 3 to 4 hours in a large bowl with 2-3 cups of water.
Turn the instant pot on by pressing the sauté button. Once hot, add the oil and sizzle the cumin seeds/jeera for few seconds.
Add onion, ginger, and green chili and cook for 2 minutes until the onions become soft. Stir tomatoes in and add garam masala, turmeric, coriander powder and salt and mix everything.
Drain the moong dal and add it to the instant pot and mix with 3 cups of water.
Close the instant pot lid and turn the manual or pressure cook function on. Cook the moong dal on high pressure for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the softness of dal you desire. Put the pressure valve in sealing position to make the dal very soft.
Note: if you have not soaked the dal before cooking, then cook it for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid, add cilantro and lemon juice and stir. Pour dal into a large serving bowl.
In a small pan, heat ghee and add the cumin seeds and sizzle for few seconds then add hing and stir. Add sliced garlic and cook until it changes the color. Finally, add the kashmeri red chili powder and mix.
Pour this tadka mixture over dal. The delicious moong dal is ready to serve. Enjoy it with jeera rice or simple boiled rice.
Green Moong Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole green gram beans (sabut moong dal)
- 1 tablespoon oil 15 ml
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 cups water 24 oz
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lemon juice of
Tadka/Tempering
- 2 teaspoons ghee 10 ml
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
Instructions
- Soak the moong dal for 3 to 4 hours in a large bowl with 2-3cups of water.
- Turn the instant pot on by pressing the sauté button. Once hot, add the oil and sizzle the cumin seeds/jeera for few seconds.
- Add onion, ginger, and green chili and cook for 2 minutes until the onions become soft. Stir tomatoes in and add garam masala, turmeric, coriander powder and salt and mix everything.
- Drain the moong dal and add it to the instant pot and mix with 3 cups of water.
- Close the instant pot lid and turn the manual or pressure cook function on. Cook the moong dal on high pressure for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the softness of dal you desire. Put the pressure valve in sealing position to make the dal very soft.
- Note: if you have not soaked the dal before cooking, then cook it for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid, add cilantro and lemon juice and stir. Pour dal into a large serving bowl.
- In a small pan, heat ghee and add the cumin seeds and sizzle for few seconds then add hing and stir. Add sliced garlic and cook until it changes the color. Finally, add the kashmeri red chili powder and mix.
- Pour this tadka mixture over dal. The delicious moong dal is ready to serve. Enjoy it with jeera rice or simple boiled rice.
