Green moong dal recipe, a green gram curry which is made using sabut moong dal with a curry method which is a very healthy and high protein curry. It goes well with rice and tastes best if made like a curry rather than the dal.
What is Green Gram?
Green gram is an English terminology for sabut moong dal or mung beans which is similar to lentils family.
Lentils like toor dal and masoor dal are made into dal curries and this sabut moong ki dal too can be used to make many varieties...
This is the most healthiest lentil which is used to make healthy salads, sprouts, dosa, dal etc...
I have already used the green gram to make some of the related green dal recipes such as moong dal vada, pesarattu dosa which are made using green dal and moong dal khichdi , moong dal pakoda and moong dal halwa are made using yellow moong dal.
This is a moong dal tadka kind of a curry where the dal is first separately boiled and then added to the flavorful tadka in onion tomato gravy and cooked together by adding water.
This method of making dal goes well with any main course such as rice or roti or parotta ...
About dals and lentils
Dals are pulses and these dals or lentils are highly used in Indian cuisine.
Dals are served along side chutneys, pickles, papad and ghee in Indian households. Lentils and legumes are usually prepared to serve with roti, rice or paratha for lunch and dinner.
There are different pulses in India and among them the common ones are toor dal or arhar dal, masoor dal, chana dal, moong dal, urad dal etc...I have already shared dal with toor which is punjabi dal tadka ...
These dal or lentils are not only used to make indian dal recipes but are also used to make many indian vegetarian recipes such as vada, dosa, veg curries, dals, pakora , soups etc...and all lentils which are basically pulses are full of proteins.
Benefits
- The green gram or mung beans is known to improve the blood cholesterol levels and mainly good if eaten in the form of salads.
- It helps in producing new cells in the body.
- Kids are often suggested to be given moong khichdi as it is very good for health.
- Lentils are always high of proteins which help in building the body.
Ingredients
To make this recipe I have added quite a few ingredients such as initial tempering, dry spices and some onions and tomatoes.
Tempering ingredients:
Spices: To make it aromatic, add some whole garam masala such as dalchini/ cinnamon and cloves. It also uses some dry spices which are common in every Indian dish such as cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste which are the main flavor giving ingredients to the curry.
Tempering: I have used basic tadka using mustard, cumin, chillies, curry leaves which actually brings the plain moong dal an aromatic flavor.
Green gram: The main ingredient of the dish is green moong beans which is separately boiled and then cooked in onion tomato gravy to let all the flavors of the curry be absorbed into the dal.
Onions and Tomatoes form the main gravy base which actually make the dal tasty and without these ingredients the dal turns out just plain and boiled which can only be served with roti.
Methi leaves: Lastly, add some dried kasoori methi to any dal tadka which brings an aromatic flavor and taste to the dal curries.
Tips to make the dal perfect
- The dal does not cook or tenderize quickly and in order to make the dal tenderize quickly, soak the dal for 5-6 hours before cooking.
- I have used pressure cooking method which has tenderized my moong dal in just 6 wistles on high flame without soaking.
- This is the fastest way to cook the dal by adding water into the dal and pressure cooking.
- The other way is to soak the dal overnight or for few hours and then slow cook the dal until it gets soft.
- Do not mash the dal after cooking and just add directly after giving tadka.
- Always boil the dal separately using slow cooking method or pressure cooking method without adding salt.
What to serve as accompaniments?
Since this is a plain basic curry or dal, it is best if served with roti or phulka.
Check the recipe below which is simple, healthy and one of the best dal recipes.
Recipe
green moong dal, green gram curry or sabut moong dal
Ingredients
To cook dal:
- 1 cup green moong dal (sabut moong dal)
- 3 cups water
Tadka for dal:
- 3 tablespoon oil (olive or vegetable oil)
- 1 medium size cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 3 cloves (loung)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 4 dried red chillies
- 6 curry leaves
- 2 slit green chillies
- 2 garlic cloves (lehsun)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 medium size onion, sliced or chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (optional)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon crushed kasoori methi
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Boiling the dal:
- Firstly, take a pressure cooker, add the dal into the cooker after washing it thoroughly.
- Add 3 cups water into the cooker.
- Pressure cook the dal for 6-7 whistles on high flame.
- After 6 to 7 whistles switch off the flame and let the steam release naturally.
Giving tadka:
- Take a cooking pan or a wok, add oil and heat it.
- Add cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add the gralic cloves, dried red chillies, curry leaves, and saute for few seconds.
- Add the slit green chillies.
- Add the sliced onions and cook until very slight brown color.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes on low flame.
- Add chopped tomatoes and give a mix.
- Add dry spices such as cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, black pepper powder.
- Mix and let everything cook until oil releases and tomatoes turn soft.
- Add water and give a mix.
- Add the pressure cooked dal into the tadka, give a mix.
- Add dried kasoori methi into it.
- Let the dal cook for 5-10 minutes on low flame and keep it covered.
- Keep stirring in between and do not let the water absorb completely.
- When the dals gets a good gravy texture switch off the flame.
- Lastly, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.
Notes
- Here, I have not soaked the dal for hours and used the dal without soaking as I have pressure cooked the dal and does not require soaking.
- It can be tenderized in 6 to 7 whistles.
- Do not mash the dal after pressure cooking.
- Just add directly after pressure cooking.
- Do not let the curry absorb all the water as the dal turns sticky later on by absorbing all the water and it is necessary to have a gravy kind of texture.
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