This Moong dal recipe is a staple Indian lentil curry that's naturally vegan, gluten-free, and packed with nutrition. It's an easy, satisfying dinner that's ready in the Instant pot in under 30 minutes.
Serve it alongside rice, roti or your favorite Indian bread, and enjoy this popular Indian comfort food.
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Who doesn't love a hearty bowl of piping hot dal drizzled with a fresh sizzling tadka (tempering)! It's one of the most popular comfort foods in northern Indian homes.
Moong Dal, also called split mung beans, is a healthy and tasty yellow lentil curry that's ready in under 30 minutes whether you make it in the Instant pot or stove.
This vegetarian lentil dish is one of my favorite dinners to whip up on a weeknight-especially since I always have these ingredients on hand. I serve it alongside cumin rice to enjoy the classic comfort meal, called "dal chawal", or with fresh homemade roti.
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What is Moong dal?
Moong Dal is a traditional Indian lentil curry made with dried yellow split mung beans , roma tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, and a blend of floral and earthy Indian spices.
Moong dal is the split, skinless lentil that's inside a whole mung bean ('sabut' moong), which is green in color.
Other names for moong dal: Moong dal is also called dried yellow split gram, split mung, petite yellow lentils, or yellow mung dal.
Is Moong dal Healthy? In addition to being naturally vegan and gluten-free, Moong dal is packed with protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, and more. It is also said to help with weight loss, heart health, and blood sugar regulation. This nutritious lentil is very easy to digest which makes it great for kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
Moong dal is a simple and easy recipe that's made with ingredients you probably already have on hand!
- Moong Dal: traditionally this recipe is made with yellow split gram, which are sometimes labeled as split yellow mung beans. They can be found at any Indian grocery store or on Amazon. Run your fingers through the dal to pick out any dirt or debris.
- Oil or Ghee: ghee adds a richer flavor but oil keeps this recipe vegan. Use whatever works best for you.
- Cumin Seeds: cooked in the oil to infuse it with their warm, earthy, citrusy flavor.
- Ginger & Garlic: adds a kick of spicy, sweet flavor. You can use store-bought ginger paste or use my homemade ginger paste recipe. You also need store bought or homemade minced garlic.
- Roma Tomato: I prefer fresh roma or plum tomato for this recipe, but feel free to use canned diced tomatoes instead. If using canned tomato, be sure to drain the liquid.
- Water: use more or less to taste. This recipe makes a more more scoop-able consistency to serve with roti or bread. But if you're serving this over rice and prefer a thinner consistency, add another ½ cup of water.
- Seasonings: you'll need a simple blend of salt, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala. It's a mildly spiced combination that gives this dish just the right amount of flavor.
- Optional Ingredients for Tempering (Tadka): as a finishing touch, you can cook ghee (or oil) and additional red chili powder (or 1 dried red chili pepper) over medium-high heat until sizzling, then drizzle that mixture over the Moong Dal.
Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
How to Cook Moong Dal
Here are the step-by-step instructions to making this easy and delicious moong dal recipe.
Prep Dal: Rinse the dal 2-3 times in a bowl of water, until the water runs clear. Let it soak while you prep the other ingredients.
- Sauté aromatics: Select Sauté on your instant pot and turn it to high. Once heated, add in oil or ghee, then sprinkle cumin seeds. When cumin begins to sizzle, add in onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they soften.
- Ginger- garlic: Add ginger and garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Add tomatoes & spices: Add in chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder. Stir and cook until the tomatoes soften, then use the back of the ladle to mash the tomatoes.
- Add dal, water and pressure cook: Strain the dal, then add it to the pot along with the water. Stir, turn off sauté, then close and lock the lid. Select pressure cook or manual, then cook for 3 minutes on high pressure (4 mins for mushier dal).
- Once the cook time is up, wait 5 minutes for a natural pressure release. Manually release the rest, then remove the lid and stir the dal, mashing some against the wall of the pot to thicken.
- Optional Tempering (Tadka): heat ghee and red chili powder (or dried red chili pepper) over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is sizzling, turn off the heat and pour it over the prepared moong dal.
Tadka: Even though this step is optional, I highly recommend it. The heat in the warmed ghee extracts the smoky flavor from the red chili and elevates the taste of this dal.
Alternate Method: Stovetop Moong dal
- Sauté oil (or ghee) and cumin seeds together in a skillet over high heat. Add in onion, ginger, and garlic, then cook until the onions are softened.
- Add in chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder, then cook until the tomatoes soften. Use the back of your ladle to mash the tomatoes.
- Add in the rinsed lentils and water, then cover and cook until the lentils are cooked to your liking, about 15-20 minutes.
- Follow the instructions for tempering, if desired, then serve!
What to Serve with Moong dal
I recommend finishing Moong dal with freshly chopped cilantro and a tiny splash of lime or lemon juice.
Enjoy a complete vegetarian Indian meal by pairing Moong dal with rice or Indian bread, along with a vegetable stir-fry and a yogurt dip. Here are some popular choices:
- Rice: Cumin rice or Brown rice. For a lower carb meal, pair it with Indian spiced cauliflower rice.
- Bread: Homemade Roti/ Phulka or Paratha. For a lower carb option, pair it with a store-bought low-carb tortilla or almond flour tortilla.
- Vegetable stir-fry: Bhindi Masala or Green Beans & Carrots.
- Yogurt dip: Boondi raita or Avocado raita, to add a cooling contrast to the meal.
How to Store
Store leftover dal in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, microwave or warm on the stove with a splash to water to thin, if necessary.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Dal: Traditionally this recipe is made with yellow split gram, which are sometimes also labelled as split yellow mung beans. You can find it in any Indian grocery store or on Amazon.
- Water: The quantity of water used will depend on your preferred end texture. This quantity used here yields a thick and creamy dal. To thin it, either add an additional ½ cup water before pressure cooking, or add warm water as needed after pressure cooking.
- Pressure cook time: For a creamy dal in which the lentils still hold their shape, cook for 3 minutes. For a mushier texture, increase pressure cook time to 4 minutes.
- Optional tempering: Enhance the flavor of this dal by adding a tadka (tempering) just before serving. To do that, heat ghee and red chili powder until it sizzles. Pour it over the cooked dal and stir before serving.
- Make it Vegan: Skip ghee and use olive or avocado oil instead to keep this dal 100% vegan.
Common Questions
The term Moong dal translates to yellow split gram in English.
Not technically. Although the word dal is often translated to "lentils", it is actually a more encompassing term that can refer to a number of different species of the legume family such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc.
Yep! Moong dal, or yellow split gram, that we're using in this recipe are made from whole mung beans that have been hulled and split.
More Indian Dal Recipes
Checkout a wide variety of lentil recipes: Instant Pot Lentil recipes.
📖 Recipe
Moong Dal
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup moong dal (yellow split gram) , rinsed 2-3 times
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup chopped onion ½ medium onion
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste ½-inch piece
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or crushed 3 cloves
- ½ cup roma tomato, diced 1 small roma tomato
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 cups water see notes
For Finishing
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Few drops of lime or lemon juice optional
Optional Tempering- Tadka
- 2 teaspoons ghee or oil
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or 1 dried red chili
Instructions
- Rinse dal 2-3 times in a bowl of water. Let is soak while you prepare and gather other ingredients.
- Turn on Saute and adjust to high. Once it's hot, in about 30 seconds, add oil (or ghee) and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start sizzling, add the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they soften.
- Add ginger and garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Add chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, garam masala and red chili powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Using the back of your ladle, gently mash the tomatoes.
- Strain dal and add it to the pot along with water. Stir well and turn off saute. Close the lid in sealing position. Select pressure cook or manual, and cook for 3 minutes. For a mushier dal cook for 4 minutes.
- After the cook time is up, wait 5 minutes for natural pressure release, then manually release it. Open the lid once the pin drops. Stir the dal, mashing some against the walls of the pot to thicken it.
- Check for taste. Garnish with cilantro and a few drops of lemon juice (if using). If skipping the tadka, enjoy moong dal with steamed basmati rice or fresh roti. To add tadka, follow the step below.
Optional Tempering- Tadka
- Heat a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or 1 dried red chili pepper. Heat till the oil starts sizzling. Turn off heat and pour the 'tadka' over the prepared moon dal just before serving.
Notes
- Moong dal: Traditionally this recipe is made with yellow split gram, which are sometimes also labelled as split yellow mung beans. You can find it in any Indian grocery store or on Amazon.
- Water: The quantity of water used will depend on your preferred end texture. This quantity used here yields a thick and creamy dal. To thin it, either add an additional ½ cup water before pressure cooking, or add warm water as needed after pressure cooking.
- Pressure cook time: For a creamy dal in which the lentils still hold their shape, cook for 3 minutes. For a mushier texture, increase pressure cook time to 4 minutes.
- Optional tempering: Enhance the flavor of this dal by adding a tadka (tempering) just before serving. To do that, heat ghee and red chili powder until it sizzles. Pour it over the cooked dal and stir before serving.
- Make it Vegan: Skip using ghee and use olive oil or avocado oil to keep this dal 100% vegan.
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