This Indian lentil recipe-Moong masoor ki dal is a very tasty and light mixed lentil dish made using split-skinned mung bean and red lentil. It can be served with rice as well as roti.
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Being an Indian, I grew up eating my comfort food dal chawal, almost every day, of course with variation in dal. Today, I am sharing the recipe of one of the simplest dal recipes- moong masoor dal which is made by cooking two different types of lentils together and then tempering it with some basic ingredients.
Some of my most cherishable childhood memories are of the afternoons when after coming back from school, my sister and I used to share the whole day’s events and stories with our mother while enjoying dal chawal with some pickle, tossed veggies, salad, and raita.
What is Dal
Dal is the Hindi word for lentil and it’s a staple food of many South Asian countries. Usually, not only the lentils but beans too are considered as dal in India. Dal is a very rich source of protein so if you want to add protein sources to your vegetarian or vegan diet, make lentil a regular part of your daily meal.
With so many varieties of lentils available in the market, where each lentil has its own unique flavor, texture, and health benefits, you never get bored with this ingredient.
Some lentils are even sold in three different forms i.e. whole(sabut), split(dali) and washed-split(dhuli). The taste of a lentil in one form is totally different from the other forms. Also, the flavor of the same lentil changes a lot just by changing the ingredients used in tempering. That's the reason most of the Indians eat dal every single day without getting bored.
Every region in India has a slightly different way of preparing dal. The basic step of almost every dal recipe is very simple and the same i.e. boiling dal with salt and turmeric. After that, it's tempered with different ingredients. The ingredients used to temper are different in different regions and that's the reason it tastes different everywhere.
How to serve dal
Dal can be served with both rice as well as roti or any other Indian bread. Some lentils taste better with rice others with roti. Moong masoor ki dal tastes good with both.
You can also enjoy them as flavorful lentil soup.
My favorite way of enjoying dal is with some plain steamed rice or jeera rice.
More vegan Indian lentil recipes
If you also want to make dal a regular part of your diet then don't miss to check the following recipes on my blog:
Do try them at home when you want to eat something simple, nutritious, and tasty.
If you try any of my recipes then please don’t miss to rate it in the comments section below.
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Step by step photo instructions
Recipe
Moong Masoor ki dal
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or regular cooking pot
- ladle
- Knife and chopping board
- 1 small grater
Ingredients
- ½ cup dhuli moong dal split and skinned mung bean
- ½ cup dhuli masoor dal red lentils
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 small piece of ginger grated or very finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 cups water or as required to get the desired consistency
Instructions
- Mix both the lentils, rinse well, and put in a pressure cooker. Add water, salt, and turmeric powder. Cook till 1 whistle on medium heat. Turn off the heat.
- While the lentils are getting cooked, heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds or until they become fragrant.
- Add onion and cook until it becomes translucent.
- Add grated ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Cook until the onions start turning brown.
- Add coriander powder and red chili powder. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
- Pour the cooked lentils into the pan, mix, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Add lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix.
Notes
- If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a regular cooking pot to cook the lentils. These lentils will take a longer time (around 30-40 minutes) to get cooked in the pot.
- Powdered spices get burned quickly, so don't leave them unattended. Also, keep the next ingredient ready as you need to saute the powdered spices only for a few seconds.
- If your dal has become thick, add warm water to adjust the consistency.
Made it and it was delicious! Easy to make and gobbled up in a jiff! Thanks!!
Thank you Shiraz 🙂