Moong (Mung) Dal Recipe

There is a famous old proverb in Gujarati language,

“મગ ચલાવે પગ”

literally means ‘The green Moong dal keeps your legs running.”

Green moong beans are small, cylindrical, and bright green skin legumes. Moong beans are most cherished foods in Ayurveda. According to ayurveda healers, this is most nutritious, while very easy to digest. Like many other legumes, the moong beans can be eaten raw when sprouted, or else eaten cooked with the skin on or off. Unlike other beans or legumes, they do not generally create abdominal gas or bloating. If you are recovering from unwell health or on diet plan, the boiled water of moong dal is very very effective. Mung beans are good source of dietary fiber and folate. They are also high in protein, magnesium, potassium and also contain vitamins A, C and E, phosphorus, iron and calcium.

At my home, my mom does make it at least once in a week, mostly on Wednesday. Why Wednesday I don’t know the valid reason behind it. She prepares a delicious dal even without any onion and garlic. I didn’t add any onions here but you can add your onion-tomato gravy which we similarly prepare for punjabi curry. I usually make our moong dal very simple way without sacrificing the nutrition values. A small bowl of cooked or sprouted moong dal with dash of lemon juice and salt is very tasty appetizer yet very healthy.

How to store: At my home back in India, we always get farm fresh moong dal from farmers or family relatives who has freshly harvested from their farms. My mom and grand-ma usually stock the moong dal for whole year. First sieve (with the bigger holes), if there is any bugs or stones. Then keep them under the sun for a day or two. And finally combine them with fine and smooth sand and store in air-tight container in cool, dry place. Yes, the sand keeps moong dal fresh for long time and help to prevent from bugs. Here in Australia, I don’t need to do this. May be it’s because of wonderful weather or something else. I simply clean and give them a sun bath then store in cool, dry place. That’s it.

You don’t need to pre-soak and can be cooked in minutes if you have a pressure cooker.

 Print Recipe!

Mung Dal Recipe: (for 2 people)

Ingredients:

1 C green moong beans
1 big tomato, chopped
1″ ginger, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chili pwd — adjust as per your heat tolerance
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
water as needed

Tadka/ Seasoning:

1 tsp vegetable, sunflower or peanut oil + 1 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chili, torn
1 big pod of garlic, lightly pounded, optional but recommended
few curry leaves

Garnish:
1 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

How to:

1. Clean and pick out stones if any. Rinse mung dal 2-3 times using warm water. Pressure cook with adding 2 cups of water, till soft or 6-7 whistles. (If you have medium-size cooker, feel free to add 3-4 cups water altogether). If you find your mung dal is still uncooked or not soft, add some water (about 1 cup) and pressure cook up to 3-4 more whistles. Any legume or lentils should be cooked throughout yet retains its shape. Turn off the heat. Keep it aside for 10 mins and allow the steam to escape.

If you don’t have pressure cooker: With 3 cups of water and 1 cup of mung beans, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beans are soft to touch and tender. It’s lengthy cooking process that’s why I always use pressure cooker for save all energy.

2. Transfer cooked mung dal in a deep pan adding 3 cups of hot water. Bring on gas stove and cook on slow-medium heat. Season with salt and all spice powders except garam masala. Cook it for 15-20 mins. Stir in between.

3. To this, add the chopped tomato. After 5-10 mins, you will see your dal is getting thick and all spice powders have blended well. Add little water and adjust the consistency, if your dal is very thick and heavy.

4. Prepare the tadka/seasoning. Heat ghee + oil. Add the cumin seeds, let it crackle for a second. Add the dry red chili, curry leaves and crushed garlic (if using). Sauté for few seconds. Add immediately to your mung dal and cover it for 2 mins.

5. Now, add the garam masala and lemon juice. Have a taste and adjust. Remove from the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with plain or jeera rice.

The prepared moong dal is thick like stew so you can enjoy it own. Today/tomorrow is Wednesday so fix this moong dal in your lunch/dinner. :)

Added on 02/07/2010: My entry goes off to Siri’s July’s edition of My Legume Love Affair (MLLA), a brainchild of Susan of ‘The Well Seasoned Cook‘.

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• Hearty Tomato Soup Recipe
• Five Lentil Soup with hint of garlic…
• Tomato Soup Recipe – an unusual one!
• Tadka Dal Recipe