A little guide to Indian lentils, beans, and peas:
Red lentils are also called Pink or orange lentils or Masoor Dal and they are basically whole red lentils that have been skinned/dehusked and split.
Whole Red Lentils are also called Indian brown Lentils or Sabut Masoor. Pictured below. Whole Red lentils can be substituted with any other brown variety, Spanish or other without much of a difference in the method of cooking.
Mung beans/Moong Beans are also available whole, as well as split (which is green) and skinned and split (which is yellow). I ran out of the split types but will add the pictures after my trip to the Indian store.
Chana Dal (split chickpea) is skinned and split Bengal gram/black chickpea. It is easy to confuse these split chickpeas with pigeon peas, but Chana dal is fatter, with a rough surface. It also takes longer to cook and they taste nuttier than pigeon pea.
Skinned and Split Pigeon Pea or Toor Dal or Arhar Dal (below) is more popular in India than the whole variety.
There are lots more types of lentils, split and whole and they all can be used to make stews/dal/soup.
Ingredients for this Mung Dal recipe:
- Dried Pigeon Peas are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, and various vitamins: thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.
- Yellow Mung Beans are one of the best plant-based sources of protein. They have a slightly sweet taste and are sold either fresh, as sprouts or as dried beans. They aren’t very common in the US but can be purchased from most bulk stores and at health food stores.
Substitutions for Mung Dal:
- For the chili garlic paste, you can use red chili powder instead of soaked chiles. You can make a bigger batch in a food processor.
- If you want a thicker mung dal, add only 1,5 cups of water to the beans/peas.
- Make this mung dal recipe oil-free by dry roasting the spices, then grinding them.

How to make Mung Dal
- In a deep pan or pressure cooker, add oil and heat on medium and add mustard seeds. Wait for them to sputter. Now, add in asafoetida, curry leaves/bay leaf and mix. Cook for half a minute before adding onions and ginger and sauteeing them until translucent.
- Add your homemade chili garlic paste (recipe see below), as well as coriander powder and cook for a minute.
- Now, toss in the tomato, and turmeric and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes get mushy. At this point, you can add chopped up vegetables, other spices, garam masala/curry powder.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the pan along with salt, and water and mix well. Pressure cook for 1-2 whistle or cook covered on low for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and mushy.
- Adjust salt, spices and water for consistency. Bring to a boil and serve. Serve Mung Dal hot topped with chopped cilantro leaves or red chili flakes, with Roti-Indian flatbread, Rice, dry veggie subzis or as a soup with garlic bread/pita/Naan.
How to make Chili Garlic paste:
- Soak a whole dry red chili pepper in warm water for 10 minutes.
- With a mortar and pestle, pound 5-6 cloves of garlic with the soaked chili and a few drops of vinegar.
- You can also use red chili powder and make a bigger batch in a food processor.
Can Mung Dal be made in advance?
More authentic Indian Dal recipes from the blog:
- Instant Pot Eggplant Sambar
- Spiced Lentil Chard Soup
- Instant Pot Aloo Palak Dal
- Chana Dal Veggie Soup
- Punjabi Dal Fry Recipe
This Mung Dal (Moong Daal) recipe is being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Ricki’s Wellness Weekend.
Recipe Card
Mung Bean Dal and Pigeon Pea Stew. Toor aur Mung Dal.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (51 g) dried yellow mung bean split mung bean, Mung Dal washed and soaked for at least an hour
- 1/4 cup (51.25 g) dried pigeon peas toor dal, or any split pea, washed and soaked for an hour
- 1.5-2 cups (354.88 ml) water 1.5 for a thicker consistency
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 g) salt
Tempering:
- 2 teaspoons (9.86 ml) organic canola oil or any organic oil with high smoke point
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 g) mustard seeds Raee
- 1 teaspoon (4.93 g) coriander powder
- 5-6 fresh curry leaves or 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch asafoetida hing optional
- 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (40 g) onion chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons (14.79 g) chili garlic paste recipe below
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 g) turmeric powder
- 1 medium tomato chopped
Instructions
- In a deep pan or pressure cooker, add oil and heat on medium
- Add mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter.
- Add asafoetida, curry leaves/bay leaf and mix. Cook for half a minute
- Add onions and ginger and cook until translucent.
- Add chili garlic paste, coriander powder and cook for a minute.
- Add the tomato, turmeric and cook for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes get mushy.
- At this point, you can add chopped up vegetables, other spices, garam masala/curry powder.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the pan, add salt, and water and mix well.
- Pressure cook for 1-2 whistle or cook covered on low for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and mushy.
- Adjust salt, spices and water for consistency. Bring to a boil and serve.
- Serve hot topped with chopped cilantro leaves or red chili flakes, with Roti-Indian flatbread, Rice, dry veggie subzis or as a soup with garlic bread/pita/Naan.
Chili Garlic paste:
- Soak a whole dry red chili pepper in warm water for 10 minutes.
- With a mortar and pestle, pound 5-6 cloves of garlic with the soaked chili and a few drops of vinegar.
- You can also use red chili powder and make a bigger batch in a food processor.
Notes
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in October 2019.
Claire panella
I want to double the recipe do I double all ingredients? Thanks for the recipes I can use all the different daI I bought at my Indian store.you are always my go to for cooking either on line or your cookbooks…waiting for your next book!
Chaya Rakofsky
Hi. Thank you for your recipes. Ihave a big bag of whole moong beans. can i use these in this recipe?
Thanks
Vegan Richa Support
yes, “The method to make the mung dal recipe can be used to make any other lentils/split peas/split beans or whole beans as well.”
vaedit
What a delicious vegan main for a cold winter night!
Christine
Just made this oil free following your suggestions in another post (dry roasting the spices then grinding them). I also added some sliced okra. Turned out very yummy!!! I love your site, I know I can trust that the recipe will work out! I’ve made so many of your recipes and they are always delicious!
Richa
awesome!
foodienewz
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Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
Beautiful dish! Rich, vibrant colors! Pinning this to my board for the future reference.
christine
I just love daals – they’re so versatile, warming and comforting – they’re also good cold, and if cooked until quite thick, they make good sandwich fillers:) what’s not to like?
vedgedout.com
I feel like I learn something new every time I visit your site and I love it! It’s so cold and rainy today. That dal is calling to me!
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
Love the bean primer- so helpful! This dish looks so cozy and warm, I could totally dive head first into this dish!
Richa
I do that every other day:)
anunrefinedvegan.com
Excellent bean primer, Richa! And that bowl of creamy goodness – very comforting.
Richa
Thanks Annie! we grew up on dals, so no wonder we love them!:)
Kristy
This looks so comforting! I’m absolutely amazed at your lentil/bean knowledge too! I learned quite a bit from your little lentil tutorial. Well done! 🙂
Richa
Thanks Kristy.. there are still so many beans out there that i have to try!
sea
I love your blog! You’ve inspired me to have dal for dinner tonight. I’m just not sure if I have and mung bean dal… Looks delicious. 🙂
Richa
you can make any lentils/split peas that you have!:))
Dixya
delicious Daal. very information post on daal Richa <3
ANU
very nice combo of lentils…yummy and healthy….luv the serving bowl….lovely clicks…
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Pola M
That is a lot of very useful information!
uma shankar
wow yummy dal and lovely photography!
Richa
Thank you Uma.
Veena Theagarajan
super shots.. Looks so good. healthy one.. it is new combo for me
Richa
Thanks Veena
Shema George
Lovely clicks and beautiful Dal Richa – Loved it
Richa
Thank you Shema!
Caitlin
i just love your daals. if i spent a week with you, that’s what i’d want every single day for dinner. this one looks so thick and full of flavor!
Richa
🙂 I am waiting to have you over wit loads of lentils:)