green moong dal | green gram curry | sabut moong dal

By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: May 11, 2020

4.89 from 34 votes • 107 Comments

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Sabut moong dal recipe with step by step photos – homely Punjabi style dal made with whole moong beans.

green moong dal recipe, green gram curry recipe, sabut moong dal recipe

This green moong dal recipe is one of those dals I make often. Just that I never clicked the pics and shared. I also make urad dal in a similar way.

The green moong beans are cooked in a pressure cooker. You can cook the dal in a pot or pan too. I have mentioned the details on how to cook the beans in a pan, in the notes section of the recipe card below. Moong beans as well as moong lentils are my preferred choice of legumes, to make dals or khichdis as they are easy to digest and nutritious.

The taste of this green gram curry is like a home-cooked dal and really goes well with rotis or steamed rice. If I make a side veggie dish, I serve the dal with steamed rice or we just have it with rotis with a side veggie salad.

If you are looking for more Dal recipes then do check:

How to make green moong dal

1. Rinse ½ cup green moong beans for a couple of times and then soak in enough water for an hour. You can also soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. If soaking overnight, then the pressure cooking time will reduce.

green moong beans, sabut moong dal

2. chop 1 medium onion, 1 large tomato and 1 to 2 green chilies.

onions for green moong dal recipe

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. add the whole spices – 1 medium tej patta/Indian bay leaf and ½ tsp cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds splutter.

spices for green moong dal recipe

4. Then add the chopped onions.

onions for green moong dal recipe

5. Saute the onions till they start to turn light golden.

onions for green moong dal recipe

6. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

ginger for green moong dal recipe

7. Now add the chopped tomatoes and ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder.

spices for green moong dal recipe

8. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.

tomatoes for green gram curry recipe

9. Drain and add the moong beans.

moong beans

10. Stir very well.

making green gram curry recipe

11. Add 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt as per taste.

water for green gram curry recipe

12. Cover and pressure cook sabut moong dal for 10 to 12 whistles or for 15 to 17 minutes on a medium to high flame till the moong beans are softened thoroughly. when the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the moong beans. If they still have slight bite to them, then add some water and pressure cook for some more whistles.

making green gram curry recipe

13. If the mixture looks dry and the water looks less, then you can add more water. Keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer the moong dal for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring at intervals. the consistency of the dal should not be watery. While cooking you can mash a few lentils with the back of the spoon.

making green gram curry recipe

Tempering for green moong dal

This step is optional.

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Splutter ½ tsp cumin seeds first.

tadka for green gram curry recipe

2. Switch off the flame and then add a pinch of asafoetida and ¼ tsp red chili powder. Stir.

tadka for green gram curry recipe

3. Add this tempering to the green moong dal. Stir well.

green moong dal recipe, green gram curry recipe, sabut moong dal recipe

4. Add 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again.

green moong dal recipe, green gram curry recipe, sabut moong dal recipe

5. Serve whole green moong dal with steamed rice or chapatis. While serving this green gram curry, you can garnish with a few coriander leaves if you want.

green moong dal recipe, green gram curry recipe, sabut moong dal recipe

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green moong dal recipe, green gram curry recipe, sabut moong dal recipe

Green Moong Dal

4.89 from 34 votes

By Dassana Amit

Sabut moong dal or green gram curry recipe - homely recipe of dal made with whole green moong beans.
Pin Print
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi
Course: Main Course
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

main ingredients

  • ½ cup sabut moong dal (whole moong beans) - soaked in water for an hour or two hours or overnight
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion, chopped or ⅓ cup chopped onions
  • 1 large tomato, finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 medium garlic - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 2.5 to 3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
  • salt as required

for tempering

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder

Instructions

preparation

  • Rinse 1/2 cup green moong beans for a couple of times and then soak in enough water for an hour. You can also soak them for a couple of hours or overnight. If soaking overnight, then the pressure cooking time will reduce.
  • Chop 1 medium onion, 1 large tomato and 1 to 2 green chilies. Crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in the mortar-pestle.

making green moong dal

  • Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.
  • Add the whole spices - 1 medium tej patta/indian bay leaf and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds splutter.
  • Then add the chopped onions. Saute the onions till light golden.
  • Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
  • Now add the chopped tomatoes and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp garam masala powder.
  • Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
  • Drain and add the moong beans. Stir very well.
  • Add 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt as per taste. Stir very well.
  • Cover and pressure cook sabut moong dal for 10 to 12 whistles or 15 to 17 minutes on a medium to high flame till the moong beans are softened thoroughly.
  • When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check the moong beans. If they still have slight bite to them, then add some water and pressure cook for some more whistles.
  • If the mixture looks dry, then you can add more water. Keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer the moong dal for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring at intervals.
  • The consistency of the dal should not be watery. While cooking you can mash a few lentils with the back of the spoon.

tempering for green moong dal (optional)

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Splutter 1/2 tsp cumin seeds first.
  • Switch off the flame and then add a pinch of asafoetida and 1/4 tsp red chili powder. Stir.
  • Add this tempering to the dal. Stir well.
  • Add 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again.
  • Serve green moong dal with steamed rice or chapatis.
  • While serving this green gram curry, you can garnish with a few coriander leaves if you want.

Notes

To cook in a pot or pan - use a thick bottomed deep pot or pan. Follow the recipe and after adding moong beans, add 3.5 cups of water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the beans on a medium flame till done. Its best to soak the beans overnight, if cooking them in a pot or pan. Add more water if required while cooking.

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Dassana Amit

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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107 Comments

  3. Whenever I need help in cooking typical Bengali food, I call my mom…. n for any other vegetarian Recipe, I search for vegrecipesofindia…. they always come out perfect…. thank you so much5 stars

    1. Good to know and thanks for sharing. Thanks a lot for the positive feedback and most welcome.

  4. My family loves this recipe, it’s so tasty! We also love your mother in laws rajma curry, thank you both for the recipes 💙5 stars

  7. Thank you for all your recipes. I have become the de facto cook at home and always stayed away from Indian food as didn’t think I could replicate my mums cooking.. your recipes have given me a new confidence, please don’t stop ????5 stars

    1. most welcome and thank you much for this wonderful feedback. so glad to read your comment. i won’t stop ????

  9. I usually look for recipes that my kids wud love to eat…less spicy, less oily, quick and simple ones with ingredients easily found in our kitchen… my kids wudnt eat green moong in any form…. but they thoroughly enjoyed thier meal with your recipe of “green moong gravy” with rice and generous serving of ghee… my husband enjoyed it with chappati…thank you for this simple but very nutritious gravy…5 stars

    1. thank you pushpa. even i prefer to cook less spicy and less oily food for the family with easily available ingredients. on the blog, you will find many of such indian recipes with the exceptions of baking recipes, world recipes and fried recipes. i am glad your family liked the moong dal recipe. thanks for sharing. happy cooking.

  10. This is my go to easy dal recipe! I switch up what kinds of lentils I use and keep spices and method the same. Today was half Channa dal and half moong. Delicious. Thank u!

    1. that can be done. in fact with any of your favorite dal recipe, you can try and change the lentils. thanks for the feedback. welcome.

  11. Hello ma’am. All your recipes are great. Keep up the good work and thank you for saving our lives????

  12. Tried the recipe n its amazing.Love love your recipes 🙂 they are an absolute delight to read, to watch the pics n to make ❤️ Missing ur app a lot. It was my most used and loved app. I learnt lot of recipes from ur site. Your detailed step by step description, pics and even tips from your experience of cooking helped me a lott.. Thanks a ton for making even difficult recipes understandable and easier. Keep cooking n clicking.5 stars

    1. Welcome Srividya. Glad to read your positive feedback on recipes. We deleted the app because of technical issues. Yes I will share more recipes as I love cooking and trying new recipes.

  13. Hello. Thanks for your wonderful recipes. I was wondering if I can cook the dal separately and then add it to the onion tomato base. Will it come out to be tasting the same??

    1. you can do this way veena. whenever cooked dal is added to onion-tomato base the taste will be different. but the taste will be good.

    1. it will take about 30 to 40 minutes. the cooking time also depends on the quality of beans.

  16. For once a recipe that don’t need tweeking. .. it was simply device thank you for this amazing recipe5 stars

  17. If not soaked overnight, how much time would it take to cook in the pressure cooker?

    1. Pushpinder, It will take around 7 to 10 minutes more. depends upon size of pressure cooker and quality of dal also.

  18. Delicious! I added garlic and a small handful of methi to the tempering and it was so good!! I also did a mix of split and whole mung.5 stars

    1. no need to double the cooking time. the moong beans will get cooked in the same amount of time in pressure cooker.

  20. I love your moong dal recipe. It’s a super hit in my family. Thanks a lot for the wonderful recipe.

    1. you can use regular garam masala or punjabi garam masala. both recipes are updated on website.

  24. This was absolutely DELICIOUS! thank you; didn’t know what to do with moong dal, I’ll be making this more often 🙂5 stars

  25. Hi
    Moong turned out to be very tasty.
    Never got such a taste before in moong.my husband appreciated.
    God bless u.5 stars

  26. Just discovered your site: thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes! Just one question about the dish next to the Green Moong Dal recipe: is that an eggplant dish? It looks delicious, is the recipe on your site or could you please share it?

    Thank you,
    Anne B

  27. Thanks mr. Amit for sharing a wonderful dal receippe i will surely make and kepp you posted.5 stars

  28. If I’m soaking overnight, how much should I reduce the pressure cooking time/whistles by?

    BTW, thank you for all these wonderful recipes with accurate measurements. I had never cooked in my life and find it quite easy to start with your recipes.

    1. thanks a lot anand. if soaking overnight, then pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes (4 to 6 whistles). also reduce the water. you can add about 2 cups water. rinse the moong dal very well after they are soaked and then add in the cooker.

  31. Followed the recipe to the word and it came out to be delicious. Everyone at home loved it . Thank you so so much for all your recipes ??

  32. I loved your recipes. And am cooking your dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Thank you for making cooking an enjoyable journey.

  33. do you have any tips for making dal in a slow cooker? some recipes say to cook the lentils by themselves and add the other ingredients at the end–is there a reason?5 stars

    1. sarah, i do not have a slow cooker, so difficult for me to tell you any tips or suggestions. i deduce the the recipes mention this, so that the other ingredients do not become too mushy or pasty. otherwise i do not see any other reason.

  34. I made this and turned out lovely! Thank you.

    I also added a boiled eggs cut in half once it was all cooked.. adds another creamy flavour to it.

  35. thank you so much net and recipes so you and very nice and God bless you my messages and very happy for recipe

  37. In childhood in Punjab I used eat a mixed whole moong , moth and mah dal with rajma in it as well. This used to served mostly at village weddings. I loved it but cannot find a recipe. Please can you help. It was in hushiarpur. Also what does it mean when you say one whistle ect.

    1. i am not aware of such a recipe. i will have to find out and ask my relatives. if i get the recipe, i will add it. one whistle or two whistles etc is the whistling of the pressure cooker that happens a number of times.

  38. Thank you a lot for this recipe ! It is very easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. I usually find it hard to eat cooked vegetables alone as my taste buds always crave for more aromatic and consistent dishes.
    This recipe accomplishes these desires and it is also great for kids. I have a three year old and he enjoyed eating this daal.

    1. nice to know lulia and thanks for sharing your experience. including lentils and legumes in our diet balances the nutrition profile along with the intake of veggies.

  39. I made this recipe several times, and it has resulted in delicious daal every time. Sometimes I use less water for a thicker consistency. Thank you for a wonderful and easy recipe.

  40. Hi,
    I tried this moong dal recipe a couple of months ago and i came out really well.. Going to make it tonight again..
    Thanks for such recipes.. They are easy to make and so tasty to eat..

  41. Lovely recipe ….simple and tasty….it help us to try different types of recipe through ur website….tc …4 stars

    1. try adding 1/2 tsp first. increase to 1/4 tsp more if you feel the salt is less. since i use rock salt and it has less saltiness as compared to sea salt or iodized salt, i do not mention the amount.

  44. Hey Dassana,

    How are you? I’ve been making this moong curry (using sprouts & the same masalas) for years now and it always turned out to be quite ordinary. But when I followed your suggestion of adding the tadka at the end (I used ghee!) and mixed some finely chopped hara dhania to the dal, I was quite amazed at the end result — a flavourful and delicious curry! Wow! Thanks a lot for your recipes and handy tips! ☺5 stars

    1. hi neeti. i am fine. yes even i make the way you make at times and it really tastes simple. but at times, i add the tadka and it really perks up the flavor and taste.

  45. Hello Dassana Dear
    This recipe looks delicious and I will give a try. I have 2 questions for you, for most of the dals (not this whole green moong one) when you pressure cook them I have noticed you don’t put salt with the dal to pressure cook you always add salt once dal is pressure cooked can you please explain the reason behind it and Secondly for oat porridge I do understand we can use skimmed milk or full fat milk do we have to reduce the quantity of water (you mentioned to use 2 cups for 1/2 cup of oatmeal) if we are using skimmed milk, please advise, thanks

    1. for the split lentils, i always add salt once they are cooked. if salt is added before, the lentils do not get a smooth consistency when cooked and still have separate grains. no need to reduce water if using skimmed milk for the oats porridge.

  46. Thanks so much for the recipe. I had something similar in an Indian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur recently, and it was amazing. Will definitely be trying this at home 🙂 Looks fabulous. Lovely photos too, btw.

    Oh and btw, I’ve had another dal before that I’ve served with rice and sour cream on a burrito, so it made sort of an Indian Burrito instead of the typical Mexican one. It was delicious 🙂5 stars

  47. hi mam, wanna make eggless banana bread but could not understand the meaning of folding the flour into the batter ..can you plz clear how folding is done in baking ?

    1. folding uses a method of cut and fold. the mixture is cut from the center with a spatula and while moving around the circumference, the batter is folded. i am sharing a youtube link as with words or pics it difficult to understand. here is the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXe-kTlTv8I

  48. Hi mam… I recently gone through your page. It is awesome.Am just cooking for past 1 yr. Can u plz add some receipes without onion and garlic..as we dnt eat that