Moong Dal (Easy Stovetop Recipe)

Our easy moong dal recipe, or mung dal, is a creamy 30-minute one-pot meal with split mung beans, fragrant spices, and a flavorful tomato-based gravy.

Split mung beans have a mild nutty flavor and a creamy and tender texture and are packed with nutrition and wholesome plant protein.

In Indian cooking, a dal or daal is a soupy, creamy, and aromatic dish you can make with any kind of split legume, such as lentils, peas, or, like in this recipe, mung beans.

As you’ve seen in our mung bean soup, mung beans are small, green, oval-shaped legumes rich in protein and with a mild nutty flavor.

In this moong dal recipe, we use hulled split mung beans, which look like small yellow lentils.

They are sometimes called petite yellow lentils or yellow mong dal; they don’t require soaking, and they cook fast in a regular pot on the stovetop so you won’t need a pressure cooker.

You can find them as ‘moong dal’ or ‘split yellow mung beans‘ in most large supermarkets, Asian grocery stores, or online.

Like chana dal and red lentil dhal, moong dal has an ultra-creamy texture, quick cooking time, and high protein content.

Instead of cooking the mung lentils separately in water and adding Tadka (oil and spices) on top, we cook them directly in a flavorful spice mix with onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and fragrant Indian spices such as turmeric, and coriander.

This technique allows you to reduce fat and cooking time, increase flavor, and make this mung dal recipe in one pot!

The flavor profile will remind you of other Indian recipes such as chickpea curry, chana masala, sweet potato curry, cauliflower curry, and vegan curry.

You’ll love our modern Indian-inspired dals because we make sure they are easy to make, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, with less oil and fat than most online Indian recipes, nutritionally balanced, and packed with healthful plant protein.

Also, they are delicious and will satisfy even the pickiest eaters!

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Split Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

Mung beans (sometimes called mung lentils) are sold primarily in two forms: whole mung beans (used for mung bean soup) and split mung beans (used for this moong dal recipe).

You can find split mung beans – also sold as moong dal – in larger supermarkets, Asian grocery stores, health food stores, or online.

Substitute split red lentils or split chickpeas (chana dal) for split mung beans.

Flavor base

• Olive oil: although not traditional in Indian cooking, we recommend olive oil or avocado oil for making dal because it’s healthier than ghee, clarified butter, or refined vegetable oils.
• Onion: you can use white, yellow, or red onion.
• Garlic: minced, pressed, or grated.
• Ginger: finely chopped or grated.
• Red pepper flakes: substitute fresh green chili, red chili, cayenne pepper, red chili powder, or Kashmiri powder.

Spices

Adjust the spices based on your preference. For example, if you dislike cumin, leave it out or reduce the amount.

• Ground cumin or cumin seeds.
• Ground coriander.
• Turmeric powder.
• Garam masala.
• Dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi (optional).
• Asafoetida or hing (optional).

Other spices you can add are mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Tomatoes

Fresh vine tomatoes are used in India to make moong dal and produce a mild and balanced dal.

Substitute canned crushed tomatoes for fresh tomatoes if you like a dal with a bolder flavor and more umami.

Salt & Black Pepper

We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves well with

• Basmati rice or brown basmati rice.
• Roti, naan, chapati.
• Fresh cilantro.
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• A dollop of yogurt or non-dairy yogurt.
• Something pickled like our quick pickled red onions.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

1. Make the flavor base

Rinse, dry, and cut the tomatoes into small dice. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add finely chopped onion and sauté on medium heat for 4 minutes or until translucent. Stir often.

Add grated ginger, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric powder.

Sauté while stirring for one more minute or until you smell the fragrant aroma of the spices.

Add the chopped tomatoes, 4 tablespoons of water, salt, and black pepper, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes become puree. Stir often.

Tip: For an extra smooth moong dal recipe, blend this tomato-spice mix with an immersion blender or a standing blender.

2. Add split mung beans

Rinse the split mung beans with water, then add them to the tomato-spice mix.

Pour in vegetable broth, then optionally season with dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).

Note: These two ingredients are optional as they are harder to come across in Western supermarkets. If you don’t have them, don’t worry. Your moong dal recipe will still be delicious.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the split mung beans become tender and the dal is creamy.

Then, shortly before turning the heat off, stir in the garam masala and the juice of 1/2 lemon, then taste it, and adjust it for salt and spices before serving.

Tip: If necessary, you might need to add more broth to finish cooking the mung beans and reach your desired consistency.

This moong dal recipe is delicious with basmati rice or Indian bread like roti, naan, or chapati to sop up the juices.

Top with fresh cilantro and a dollop of thick yogurt or non-dairy yogurt. The yogurt helps mellow the spices and balances the warmth of the dish.

Add something pickled like quick pickled red onions, red cabbage, or jalapeños.

Mung dal with spinach

Mung dal with spinach is a colorful and delicious variation of this recipe. Add fresh spinach or baby spinach once your dal is cooked.

Stir them in, add a splash of extra vegetable broth, and simmer for a few minutes until the spinach wilt.

You can substitute kale and chard for spinach but remember that they take a little longer to cook, so add them earlier.

Chana dal with split chickpeas

Chana dal is another delicious dhal recipe where split chickpeas are used instead of split mung beans.

Aside from that, the recipe is almost identical, except that you’ll have to cook the split chickpeas beforehand in a separate pot.

Check out our chana dal recipe.

Questions

Make ahead: mung dal is an excellent meal prep recipe as it lasts for days in the fridge and months in the freezer.

Refrigerator: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The dal will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator, and you’ll need to add some water when reheating it.

Freezer: Let the moong dal cool down completely, then freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.

Thaw & Reheat: thaw in the fridge over several hours or in the microwave. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop or the microwave. Add a splash of water before doing so.

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