Moong Dal Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 242kcal
This healthy and delicious moong dal (split yellow lentil) makes for a comforting Indian side dish with steamed rice or roti. It is easy, fuss-free, and packed with protein. Check out the instant pot and stovetop recipe.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow moong dal/ split husked yellow lentil
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For tempering:
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
Instructions
- Wash the dal with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
- Add the washed dal in the Instant pot along with 3 cups of water, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and salt to taste and stir gently.
- Close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 10 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE. The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and the timer to start.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position. Use a cloth to move the valve to avoid steam burn.
- Open the lid of the pot and add 1 tablespoon lime juice and mix well.
- Add some more water if the dal is too thick. Keep in mind that it will continue to thicken once it starts to cool down. If you have added more water, then press SAUTE and bring the dal to a boil.
- Traditional Pressure Cooker – To cook the dal in a traditional Indian pressure cooker, increase the amount of water to 4 cups and cook on high heat for one whistle. Then simmer the heat and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Pan – To cook the dal in a pan over the stovetop, add the washed dal in a pan along 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.
- For tempering, heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a small pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add ¼ teaspoon asafoetida and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and fry on medium heat until browned (1 minute).
- Switch off the heat and add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder to the pan. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. This step is important to avoid the chili powder from burning.
- Pour the tempering over the warm dal immediately and mix well. Serve hot.
Notes
I am cooking yellow moong dal in the recipe but you can easily replace it with the green moong by keeping the recipe exactly the same.
Add veggies like carrot, bottle gourd, pumpkin, spinach, kale or amaranth leaves to this dal to make it more nutritious.
If you soak lentils for 15-20 minutes, it will reduce the cooking time.
I sometimes like to add a few teaspoon of achari masala, sambar masala, or Goda masala to this dal for a taste change.
To make this recipe one-pot, you can give the tempering first. Then add the dal with water and cook it.
Adjust the consistency of the dal as per your liking.
If you want the lentils to be vegan, then you can use any vegetable oil or olive oil.
If you prefer the dal to be gluten-free, then avoid adding hing or asafoetida.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 492mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 4mg