Yellow Moong Dal Recipe (Creamy, Comforting & Ready in 30 Minutes)
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Learn how to make creamy North Indian-style yellow moong dal at home with this easy recipe. Soft, buttery, and ready in 35 minutes, perfect with rice or roti.
Table of Contents
Growing up in a North Indian household, Tuesday meant one thing on the dinner table: a steaming bowl of yellow moong dal. My mom called it “halka khana,” which loosely translates to light food. But trust me, light does not mean boring.
She would crack tempering over the dal at the very last second, and the whole kitchen would smell of cumin, garlic, and warm ghee.
Years later, this same yellow moong dal is what I cook when I am tired, sick, or simply craving home. It cooks faster than any other dal, sits gently on your stomach, and tastes like a hug in a bowl. If you have only ever tried heavy dal makhani or dal tadka, this one will surprise you with how clean and soothing it feels.
Let me walk you through exactly how I make it.
What Is Yellow Moong Dal?
Yellow moong dal (also spelled mung dal) is a split and skinned green gram lentil. Once the green skin comes off, you get small, flat, pale-yellow lentils that cook quickly and turn buttery-soft.
This North Indian style Yellow Moong Dal Tadka is one of the most comforting dals (lentils) you can make for everyday meals.
You can cook the lentils in an Instant Pot or a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. You can also cook it in a pan on the stovetop, but this method is not recommended, as it takes a long time.
This recipe is vegetarian and can be made vegan or gluten-free. I make it in my 3-quart Instant Pot or a 3-liter pressure cooker. If you want to double or triple the recipe, use bigger pots. The cooking time will remain the same.
How To Make Yellow Moong Dal
Cook The Dal
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Rinse 1 cup of moong dal under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes the starchy dust and any tiny stones. Soak the dal in fresh water for 10 minutes while you chop your vegetables. Soaking is optional, but it cuts a few minutes off the cooking time and makes the dal even softer.
Drain the soaked dal and add it to your pressure cooker. Pour in 3 cups of fresh water, then drop in the ½ teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 medium tomato (sliced), 2 teaspoon chopped green chili, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger.
Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 3 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. This usually takes 8 to 10 minutes.
Open the cooker and give the dal a good whisk. You want a creamy, slightly chunky texture, not a smooth puree. If it looks too thick, add half a cup of hot water and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
In An Instant Pot
- To cook the dal in an Instant Pot, reduce the water to 2 cups. Press the PRESSURE COOK button and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Add some more water if the dal is too thick. Check for salt and add more if needed.
In A Pan Over The Stovetop
- To cook the dal over the stovetop, add the washed dal to a pan with 5 cups of water, salt, and turmeric powder.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the dal is tender.
Temper The Dal
Heat 2tbsp ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon hing, and 2-3 dried red chilies (broken into pieces) and let them crackle for 5 seconds.
Drop in ½ cup of chopped red onions and 4-5 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed). Stir until the onions turn golden brown, stirring frequently. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Do not walk away here. Burnt onion and garlic ruin the dal.
Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. The residual heat will bloom the spices without burning them.
Pour the sizzling tadka immediately over the hot dal. You will hear that beautiful crackle; that is the sound of a perfect dal.
Save some tempering for garnishing.
Add 2 teaspoon of lime juice and 2 tablespoon of chopped coriander, and mix well.
Garnish with some more fresh coriander (and the saved tempering) and serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
Use fresh dal. Old lentils take forever to cook and never turn creamy. If your dal has been sitting in the pantry for over a year, it is time for a new bag.
Add veggies like carrot, bottle gourd, pumpkin, spinach, kale, or amaranth leaves to this dal to make it more nutritious.
I sometimes add a few teaspoon of Achari Masala Powder, Sambar Powder, or Goda Masala to this dal for a change in taste.
To make this recipe one-pot, you can give the tempering first. Then add the lentils to the water and cook.
Adjust the consistency of the dal to your liking by adding more or less water.
Yellow Moong Dal FAQs
No, soaking is not compulsory but recommended. Yellow moong dal cooks quickly because it is split and skinless. A quick 10-minute soak helps if you want an extra creamy texture, but you can skip it on busy days.
Yes. Keep it simple and temper the lentils with only cumin seeds, dry red chilies, and hing in ghee.
This dal can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days when properly stored in an airtight container. It thickens considerably when stored. So add hot water to adjust the consistency when reheating it.
Reheat it in a pan or in the microwave until it’s nice and warm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this simple yellow moong dal with a dry sabzi and Indian bread such as Phulka, Plain Tawa Paratha, Jowar Roti, ragi roti, etc.
You can also serve it with simple steamed rice or Jeera Rice for everyday meals.
Serve a raita, papad, pickle, and a chutney for a complete meal.
Other Dal Recipes We Recommend
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Yellow Moong Dal Recipe (Creamy, Comforting & Ready in 30 Minutes)
Ingredients
To Cook The Dal
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (dhuli moong dal, split and skinned yellow lentil)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 medium-tomato (sliced)
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
For The Tempering
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for guten-free)
- 2-3 dried red chilies (broken into pieces)
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 4-5 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
Instructions
Cook The Dal
- Rinse moong dal under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes the starchy dust and any tiny stones. Soak the dal in fresh water for 10 minutes while you chop your vegetables. Soaking is optional, but it cuts a few minutes off the cooking time and makes the dal even softer.
- Drain the soaked dal and add it to your pressure cooker. Pour in 3 cups of fresh water, then drop in the turmeric, salt, tomato, green chili, and ginger.
- Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 3 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. This usually takes 8 to 10 minutes.
- Open the cooker and give the dal a good whisk. You want a creamy, slightly chunky texture, not a smooth puree. If it looks too thick, add half a cup of hot water and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
Temper The Dal
- Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds, hing, and dried red chilies, and let them crackle for 5 seconds.
- Drop in onions and garlic. Stir until the onions turn golden brown, stirring frequently. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Do not walk away here. Burnt onion and garlic ruin the dal.
- Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the red chili powder and coriander powder. The residual heat will bloom the spices without burning them.
- Pour the sizzling tadka immediately over the hot dal. You will hear that beautiful crackle; that is the sound of a perfect dal.
- Add lime juice and coriander, and mix well.
- Garnish with some more fresh coriander (and the saved tempering) and serve hot.
