Simple moong dal fry

If you are pushed for time and need to have a quick and delicious dal on the table, try this moong dal recipe! This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes as everything is cooked in one go in the pressure cooker. Moong dal is the spilt version of mung beans, which are green in colour.

I do not often cook with moong dal. I usually favour toor dal which has an earthy taste which I really like. I usually incorporate moong dal into khichdi with rice and a few other spices, but this time I thought I would make it into a star dish of its own. 

There are two kinds of basic moong dal recipes

• Moong dal tadka, where a temper of oil infused with spices is added at the end of cooking 
• Moong dal fry where onions, tomatoes & spices are sauteed beforehand and cooked with the dal. No temper is added.
  
  

This moong dal is bursting with flavours from simple spices like cumin, chilli powder & turmeric. I have not included a tadka in this dish, as I sauté the ingredients and spices before pressure cooking in ghee. This gives the dal a delicious flavour and infuses the whole dal with spices and onions. So this is more of a dal fry recipe instead If you are vegan, simply replace the ghee with vegetable oil. This dish does not contain any garlic or ginger to make the dish overpowering.

This moong dal recipe is also very friendly on your wallet! It is also great for meal prep, so make a big batch and you can freeze this dal for around 2-3 months. If you do not have a pressure cooker, I have included in the recipe notes how to cook it in a normal pot.

Pair this moong dal with fluffy jeera rice or scoop up with rotis!

 

Ingredients
Serves 3-4

¾ cup moong dal, rinsed and drained
2 cups water for pressure cooking
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 green chilli, slit
Salt to taste
Water, as required
½ tbsp ghee
Coriander leaves, to garnish

You’ll need these spices
½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp garam masala

Method

• In a pressure cooker on medium flame, melt the ghee. Add the mustard & cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
  
  
• Next, add the chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add the chopped tomato and cook until soft & mushy.
  
  
• Add the chilli powder & turmeric and saute for a few minutes.
  
  
• Add the rinsed moong dal and mix well. Top up with the 2 cups of water. Mix again and seal the pressure cooker.
  
  
• Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally and then check if the moong dal is soft. If not, cook for 1 more whistle.
  
  
• Once the dal is cooked, turn the flame to low and let the dal bubble whilst you add the garam masala and salt to taste. Adjust the consistency with water according to your preferences.
  
  
• Finally, mix through some fresh coriander leaves and serve!
  
  

Recipe notes
If you do not have a pressure cooker, instead of adding 2 cups of water for pressure cooking, add 3 - 3.5 cups instead. Let the moong dal come to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes until the moong dal is cooked through. The ingredients and the rest of the recipe is the same.