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Green Moong Dal (Sabut Moong Dal) also known as Green Gram or Mung Beans is high in antioxidants and one of the healthiest dals. Make a large pot of dal on a cold night and enjoy it for days with hot basmati rice. Super comforting and nourishing.
★★★★★
“Delicious, everyone loved it. I have tried so many recipes from Nisha’s Instagram and have never been disappointed. This piping hot dal on a cold winter night is the best meal ever.”
– Tanya
Dal is a staple in Indian cuisine. Given the variety of lentils, it’s normal for someone of Indian origin to enjoy a different type of dal every single day of the week.
Here are some Dal Recipes
Looking for an easy weeknight dinner, make this Instant Pot Masoor Dal with Spinach – it tastes amazing with rice. For a light and tangy dal, make this delicious Tomato Dal or Andhra Style Tomato Pappu. For a comforting and hearty dal, this Spinach Dal Fry made with toor dal is healthy and wholesome. On a cold winter night, make this No Cream Dal Makhani – it’s rich and made without heavy cream.
Table of Contents
What is Green Moong Dal?
Green Moong Dal is also known as Sabut Moong Dal. Sabut means “whole” in Hindi, so essentially this dal is also known as whole moong dal. Other names include Green Gram Curry, Mung Beans Curry, Green Gram Dal, or Hare Mung Dal.
The Mung Beans are first soaked for at least 5 hours and then cooked in an Instant Pot or you can use a pressure cooker. In a separate pot, cook the ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes – this is your masala paste. Add the cooked lentils to the masala along with water, spices, and tadka (tempering). Enjoy with Jeera Rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Satisfying and comforting meal on a cold night.
- Healthy with 20 grams of protein per serving.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Can easily be made vegan and gluten-free with a few minor swaps.
Ingredients
- Green Moong Dal / Mung Lentils – I used whole green moong beans or mung beans.
- Ginger, Garlic, and Green Chilies – Chop the ginger and garlic. Slit the green chilies.
- Onions – I love using chopped red onions for most of my Indian dishes.
- Powdered Spices – Hing (asafoetida), Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt, Garam Masala, Amchur (mango powder).
- Whole Spices – Cumin Seeds, Ajwain (carom seeds), Black Cardamom.
- Avocado Oil – I recommend a high-heat oil for Indian cooking.
- Water – You’ll need water for soaking and cooking the lentils.
- Ghee – you will need ghee for tempering, you can also use oil instead.
- Sliced Garlic – you will need sliced garlic for tempering.
- Fresh Cilantro – chopped cilantro leaves or coriander leaves.
- Lemon Juice – just a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice works too.
Substitutions
For a vegan option – simply replace ghee with avocado oil.
For a gluten-free option – replace hing (asafoetida) with gluten-free hing.
How to Make Green Moong Dal Recipe?
Step 1 – Soak & Pressure Cook Sabut Moong Dal
1. Wash and rinse 1 1/2 cups of green moong dal well. Then soak the sabut moong dal in enough water for 5 hours. I generally soak the dal in 4 times the water amount. (Image 1)
2. Then drain the dal. Wash and rinse it well. Add the dal to the Instant Pot along with 4 cups of water. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir. (Image 2)
3. Cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes and do a natural pressure release. (Image 3)
4. Once done, this is what you should have. Perfectly cooked dal. (Image 4)
Step 2 – Prepare Masala & Add Cooked Mung Beans
1. Heat up a pot on medium heat, then add oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, ajwain (carom seeds), hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, and black cardamom. Saute for a minute. (Image 1)
2. Then add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for 1-2 minutes. (Image 2)
3. Add onions and season with salt. Cook for around 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and golden brown. (Image 3)
4. Add chopped tomatoes and season with salt. (Image 4)
5. Stir the tomatoes. (Image 5)
6. Cover and cook the onion tomato masala on low-medium heat for 6-7 minutes until you have a paste-like consistency. (Image 6)
7. Now add your powdered spices – red chili powder and coriander powder. Also, add a 1/4 cup of water to prevent the spices from burning. (Image 7)
8. Stir and cook for a minute. (Image 8)
9. Now add your cooked dal. Note, there won’t be much liquid in here since the lentils will soak up the water. (Image 9)
10. Also add 1 cup of water. Stir. Adjust salt as needed. (Image 10)
11. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes. (Image 11)
12. This is what you should have. Turn off the stove. (Image 12)
Step 3 – Prepare the Takda (tempering)
1. Add ghee (or oil if you prefer) to a small pan/pot. Heat ghee. Then add hing, sliced garlic, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Cook for about 2 minutes until you can smell the aroma of the garlic. (Image 1)
2. Pour tadka over dal. Stir. (Image 2)
3. Now add amchur powder (mango powder), garam masala, and fresh lemon juice. Stir. (Image 3)
4. Add fresh cilantro. Turn off the stove. Stir. Enjoy with basmati rice. (Image 4)
Expert Tips
In order to get a creamy consistency when making Green Moong Dal, you need to:
✓ Soak – Soak the sabut moong dal for at least 5 hours in lots of water.
✓ Water – Pressure cook the dal with the least amount of water so the consistency is not water.
✓ Ghee – Finish off with a ghee tadka. You can use oil instead of ghee, but the richness ghee adds is different.
Serving Suggestions
→ Jeera Rice – Mung Beans Curry tastes best with Jeera Rice or plain white basmati rice.
→ Brown Rice / Quinoa – for a healthier option, you can use brown rice or quinoa.
→ Roti / Sabzi – To complete a typical Indian meal, Sabut Moong Dal can be served as an accompaniment with roti and sabzi.
Recipe FAQs
No. For a vegan option, simply replace the ghee tadka with avocado oil.
No. For a 100% gluten-free option, you need to use a gluten-free hing (asafoetida). Every other ingredient in this recipe is gluten-free.
Sure. You can soak it for 5 hours or even overnight.
Generally speaking, dal can be stored in the fridge in an airtight glass container for up to 3-4 days.
If I make a lot of dal, I do freeze it in a Pyrex airtight container and use it within a month or two. Transfer the frozen dal to the refrigerator a day before and it will thaw. Heat up the dal as usual the next day.
Yes, Green Moong Dal Curry also known as Mung Beans is one of the healthiest dals packed with protein and fiber.
Here are some benefits of green gram:
→ Ideal for weight loss because it is loaded with high-quality protein and fiber. This type of dal keeps you fuller for longer.
→ Good for your digestive health.
→ Has a low glycemic index so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels making it ideal for diabetics.
→ Mung beans are high in antioxidants.
More Dal Recipes
Dal, Lentils & Beans
Masoor Dal Instant Pot (Red Lentil Dal)
Dal, Lentils & Beans
Dal Makhani (no cream, gluten-free)
Dal, Lentils & Beans
Tomato Dal | Andhra Style Tomato Pappu Recipe
Dal, Lentils & Beans
Toor Dal Tadka (Instant Pot)
Green Moong Dal (Sabut Moong Dal)
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
for pressure cooking dal
- 1 1/2 cups green moong dal (mung beans), washed, rinsed & soaked
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
for cooking dal & spices
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 black cardamom, moti elachi
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds, ajwain
- 1/8 tsp hing, asafoetida
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- add cooked dal
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp amchur, mango powder
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, more if needed
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
for tadka (tempering)
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1 – Soak & Pressure Cook Sabut Moong Dal
- Wash and rinse 1 1/2 cups of green moong dal well. Then soak the sabut moong dal in enough water for 5 hours. I generally soak the dal in 4 times the water amount.
- Then drain the dal. Wash and rinse it well. Add the dal to the Instant Pot along with 4 cups of water. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir. Cook on High Pressure for 18 minutes and do a natural pressure release.
Step 2 – Prepare Masala & Add Cooked Mung Beans
- Heat up a pot on medium heat, then add oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, ajwain (carom seeds), hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, and black cardamom. Saute for a minute. Then add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add onions and season with salt. Cook for around 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and golden brown. Next, add tomatoes, season with salt, and stir.
- Cover and cook the onion tomato masala on low-medium heat for 6-7 minutes until you have a paste-like consistency.
- Next, add your powdered spices – red chili powder and coriander powder. Also, add a 1/4 cup of water to prevent the spices from burning. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add the cooked dal. Note, there won't be much liquid in here since the lentils will soak up the water. Add 1 cup of water. Stir. Adjust salt as needed. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove.
Step 3 – Prepare the Takda (tempering)
- Add ghee (or oil if you prefer) to a small pan/pot. Heat ghee. Then add hing, sliced garlic, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Cook for about 2 minutes until you can smell the aroma of the garlic. Pour tadka over dal. Stir.
- To the dal – add amchur powder (mango powder), garam masala, and fresh lemon juice. Stir. Add fresh cilantro. Turn off the stove. Stir. Enjoy with basmati rice.
NOTES
- Soak – Soak the sabut moong dal for at least 5 hours in lots of water.
- Water – Pressure cook the dal with the least amount of water so the consistency is not water.
- Ghee – Finish off with a ghee tadka. You can use oil instead of ghee, but the richness ghee adds is different.
- Vegan option – Replace ghee with oil.
- Gluten-free option – Replace asafoetida (hing) with gf hing, or skip it.
Turned out so good and so easy make since I make moong dal on Wednesday this will be on repeat next week thanks Nisha
Delicious and easy to make!
I love this recipe so much that I’ve made it almost every other week since you posted it! My husband and I enjoy moong and moth a lot and I’ve tried making this same recipe even with moth beans while reducing the water content and it tastes great. Thanks for this amazing recipe Nisha, it is a part of our meal rotation now for the winters.
Delicious, everyone loved it. I have tried so many recipes from Nisha’s instagram and have never been disappointed. This piping hot dal on a cold winter night is the best meal ever.
OMG Tanya. Thanks for your sweet comment. I agree this dal hits the spot, especially on a cold winter night. IT’s soo comforting and healthy! Double win! 🙂