Yellow Moong Dal Recipe (Creamy, Comforting & Ready in 30 Minutes)

This Yellow Moong Dal Tadka is a simple North Indian style lentil dish where split and skinned yellow mung lentils are cooked until creamy and then tempered with a spicy tempering. Use my easy recipe to make it in an instant pot or on a stovetop pressure cooker.

5 from 1 vote

Yellow Moong Dal Recipe (Creamy, Comforting & Ready in 30 Minutes)

This Yellow Moong Dal is a simple North Indian style lentil dish where split and skinned yellow mung lentils are cooked until creamy and then tempered with a spicy tempering. Make it in an instant pot or on a stovetop pressure cooker using my easy recipe.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Soaking Time10

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

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.

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 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.

Save some tempering for garnishing.

Add lime juice and coriander, and mix well.
Garnish with some more fresh coriander (and the saved tempering) and serve hot.

Video

Notes

I make this recipe 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.

Nutrition