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    Home » daal

    Mom’s Simple Moong Dal Recipe with Garlic Chili Tadka. Vegan Glutenfree

    Published: Jul 12, 2013 · Modified: Jul 26, 2022 by Richa 63 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Mom’s Simple Moong Dal is spiced only with green chilies and garlic and makes for a light weeknight soup. Vegan Dal Dahl Daal Recipe with yellow Lentils.
    Jump to Recipe   
    Mom's Simple Moong Dal Recipe is spiced with green chilies and garlic and makes for a light weeknight Dahl soup | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian
     I unpacked my camera and some props so that I can at least capture a few meals that Mom whips up. 🙂 And then edit them later.

    Mom saw some Rainbow Chard in the fridge, asked me what that is. I said its chard, just think of it as any leafy green like Spinach. And she made some amazing Potato Chard sauite with it. Today she made her simple tadka daal and a side Subzi, which will be posted in a few days. I said, Ma wait, let me pout it into the kadhai and quickly click a few photos.

    And here is Mom’s Simple Moong dal. The split mung beans/dal are soaked. Then cooked till they mash easily. The Tadka/Tempering is made in a separate pan with mustard seeds, garlic and Serrano chili pepper. And the sizzling Tadka is then mixed into the cooked beans and served immediately.. Yum!

    You can use any quick cooking lentils or legumes which cook to a mashed up soup. This basic tadka works well with them. With whole lentils, you might need more spices or additions and need to simmer the lentils with them, like this Whole Mung Bean and Lentil Stew with Broccoli or Black Eyed Pea and whole Mung Bean Stew. Or if using whole Mung beans, simmer the cooked whole Mung Beans after adding the tadka for a few minutes so it picks up the flavors.

    This dal can be served as a side with veggie stir fry and Roti flat bread (Indian meal) or with bread or as is like a soup.

    For more Indian Dals/Bean/Stews see here.

    In between work for 2 houses, time just flies. I dont even know what day it is 🙂

    Tadka/Tempering of garlic, chili, mustard seeds

    Mom's Simple Moong Dal Recipe is spiced with green chilies and garlic and makes for a light weeknight Dahl soup | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian

    Pour sizzling tadka into cooked dal. Mix lightly and serve.

    Mom's Simple Moong Dal Recipe is spiced with green chilies and garlic and makes for a light weeknight Dahl soup | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian

    Recipe Card

    Print Recipe
    5 from 13 votes

    Mom's Simple Moong Dal Recipe with Garlic Chili Tadka.

    Mom's Simple Moong Dal is spiced only with green chilies and garlic and makes for a light weeknight soup. Vegan Dal Dahl Daal Recipe with yellow Lentils. Serves 2 to 3
    Prep Time1 hour hr
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 417kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (236.59 g) dry Moong dal, Mung Dal / petite yellow lentils (split and skinned mung bean)
    • 3 cups (750 ml) water 3.5 cups for thinner consistency
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) turmeric
    • 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt or to taste

    Tadka

    • 2-3 teaspoons oil
    • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    • 1 green chili finely chopped
    • 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) asafetida hing (optional)

    Instructions

    • Wash and soak the Mung Dal for an hour.
    • In a deep pan, add the drained dal and 3 cups water, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook on low-medium heat until dal mashes easily. 20-25 minutes.
    • Or pressure cook on medium for 1 whistle ( 6 minutes at high pressure). Let the pressure release on its own . The dal in the pictures is pressure cooked hence well mashed.
    • Once the beans are cooked, In a small pan, add the oil and heat on medium-high heat.
    • Add mustard seeds and let them start to sputter. Reduce heat to low medium.
    • Add the garlic, chili and asafetida-hing. (If you have an electric stove the temperature won’t immediately come down, and garlic can burn, so wait for a minute or take pan off the stove to reduce the heat of the pan, then add garlic and chili)
    • Cook until the garlic and chili have brown edges.
    • Drop this tadka into the cooked dal, mix just lightly so a good portion of the tempering stays on top of the dal. and serve hot.

    Notes

    Nutritional values based on one serving

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Mom's Simple Moong Dal Recipe with Garlic Chili Tadka.
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 417 Calories from Fat 45
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 5g8%
    Sodium 691mg30%
    Potassium 1307mg37%
    Carbohydrates 68g23%
    Fiber 17g71%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 25g50%
    Vitamin A 120IU2%
    Vitamin C 9.1mg11%
    Calcium 156mg16%
    Iron 7.3mg41%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Mung Dal Tadka


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    1. Nicole

      September 03, 2023 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      This simple soup was so flavorful and exactly what I needed. I just returned home and had a few ingredients on hand and didn’t want to make a trip to the grocery store. Thank you for helping me make a delicious and easy meal.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 07, 2023 at 8:35 pm

        yay!

        Reply
    2. Susan

      April 09, 2023 at 4:08 pm

      5 stars
      This is my ‘go to’ recipe for Dal. I always make Dal when I am making an Indian dinner, and this recipe is so flavorful, and so easy! Sometimes I use 1/2 cup of moong dal, and replace the other 1/2 cup with split red lentils.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        April 10, 2023 at 7:46 pm

        smart!

        Reply
    3. Cathie Dodson

      January 04, 2023 at 10:24 am

      Oh my goodness!! Warmed the oil and poured in the mustard seeds to “splutter”!! They exploded all over my stove and kitchen floor like crazy popcorn! What a mess!

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 04, 2023 at 4:21 pm

        The oil got too hot. You want to heat it gently and not too smoking hot. Depending on your stove and pan, you will figure out a time for that so that they just pop lightly in the pan.

        Reply
    4. AP

      August 01, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is the PERFECT cold weather dish. Simple to make, but great depth of flavor with warm, comforting spices.
      Note: listen to Richa when she says to use a deep pan to cook the dal. I used my Always pan and almost set my kitchen on fire.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        August 02, 2022 at 12:55 pm

        always be careful!

        Reply
    5. Barbara Farren

      January 21, 2022 at 6:09 am

      5 stars
      An incredibly easy recipe and absolutely delicious as always!!
      I have your book and cook a lot from your recipes. I know they will be great!
      Thank you so much for your hard work and sharing with us,
      Hugs to you
      Barbara

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 21, 2022 at 10:28 am

        Thank you Barbara, some of my fave meals are these easy ones from my mom !

        Reply
    6. Katharine

      September 08, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      We made this tonight with a few subs based on what we had on hand (cumin seeds instead of mustard seeds and shallot in place of green chili). So delicious and easy! This will be on our regular rotation now.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 09, 2020 at 8:26 pm

        great – i’m glad that it turned out so well for you

        Reply
    7. Sage

      August 18, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      Easy, yummy and comforting.
      I have a question – What causes the red color in the oil on the photo?

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 18, 2019 at 11:02 pm

        the asafetida and garlic on roasting add a golden brown hue.

        Reply
    8. Lindsay S.

      July 30, 2019 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE this dal!! It’s one of our go-to dinners! The garlic chili flavor is perfect and the dal is so comforting, over some steamed rice. I usually add a little onion to the tadka, as well as a leafy green like kale or spinach right to the pot at the end for extra nutrients and a pop of color. Thank you for sharing! I used to think dal was so complex so I avoided making it but this recipe proved that wrong 😉

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 30, 2019 at 3:12 pm

        i know right. Simple ingredients and somuch flavor!

        Reply
    9. Ernie

      February 15, 2019 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe. I have made it multiple times. My kids love it also with naan or rice. Easy to make, flavorful and simply delicious.

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 16, 2019 at 8:09 am

        awesome!

        Reply
    10. Jill

      October 18, 2018 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      What do you call those cute copper bowls? I can’t find them. Love this!

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 18, 2018 at 7:48 pm

        They are called Kadhai (or copper kadhai) and you can find them on Amazon or you can also find them in Indian stores.

        Reply
    11. Dawn

      April 14, 2018 at 7:07 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was incredibly easy and very tasty. My meat eating mister raved about it…says this recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing it

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 14, 2018 at 11:26 am

        awesome!!

        Reply
    12. suzi

      January 22, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      I am not sure if I am doing this one right, Richa. I used my instant pot and they were soft but so watery and I used the least amount of recommended water. I hit it with my immersion blender and now I am cooking a pot of split red lentils on the stove to mix in if its too thin when I serve… fingers crossed its fabulous 🙂

      Reply
    13. Lee Ann

      August 24, 2017 at 5:12 pm

      I am cooking it now. O bet it will be as good as the comments. My mouth is watering.

      Reply
    14. amy

      November 19, 2016 at 2:43 pm

      Hi Richa!
      I love this and really all of your recipes. I also have your cookbook and am basically making most of my meals from it! 🙂 Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes. For this one – if you are cooking in a regular pot (not pressure cooker) do you bring the dal & water to a boil first, and then reduce the heat? Or keep the heat consistently low for the whole cooking time? Many thanks! amy

      Reply
      • Richa

        November 20, 2016 at 9:59 pm

        I cook it consistently over medium-low heat for 25 mins. You can bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.

        Reply
    15. Jen

      January 07, 2016 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      This remains one of my all time favorite recipes ever! I make it every winter. Great comfort food, and easy to throw together with nothing in the fridge. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 07, 2016 at 10:28 am

        Awesome!!

        Reply
    16. Michelle

      March 03, 2015 at 6:04 am

      Oh yes, one more question. Do you use black or yellow mustard seeds? Thank you for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try it out!

      Reply
      • Richa

        March 03, 2015 at 10:32 am

        black mustard seeds.

        Reply
    17. Michelle

      March 03, 2015 at 4:19 am

      This recipe looks so delicious and very easy to make. I will try it out today. What kind of oil would you recommend using? (would coconut oil also work, or should I stick to olive oil?) Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Richa

        March 03, 2015 at 10:32 am

        any oil with high smoke point like safflower or organic canola. coconut oil will work better than olive oil

        Reply
        • Michelle

          March 03, 2015 at 11:07 am

          Thank you!

          Reply
    18. Yuna - greenhealthygirl.com

      September 04, 2014 at 9:06 am

      Looks delicious! I recently started making dal. It’s so delicious! Thank you for the inspiration!

      Reply
    19. Polly

      September 03, 2014 at 11:47 pm

      Would like to know more about the copper cookware – what brand & where to get it.

      Reply
    20. Gina

      January 25, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      Moong Dal is one of my favorite comfort foods of all time. Thanks for this version, which is up there with the non-vegan fav of my pre-vegan days.

      Reply
    21. Anonymous

      January 20, 2014 at 10:05 pm

      I just made this and it is great! It came together quickly, directions were spot on and easy to follow, and the spicing is just right. I love using split lentils because they cook so fast. Can’t wait to try other recipes on your blog, thanks!

      Reply
    22. Anonymous

      August 13, 2013 at 4:51 am

      My Aai too follows same recipe. Isn’t it a simple yet tasty dal? I just can’t have enough of it.

      Thanks

      Reply
    23. Kristy

      August 02, 2013 at 6:51 pm

      You are so lucky to have your parents around while you’re so busy in this transitioning period! This looks so yummy!

      Reply
    24. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

      July 29, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      Looks amazing Richa- I am so happy for you that you get to spend time with both your parents, you must be also loving your new home and Kitchen- it is beautiful!

      Reply
    25. Alankar

      July 22, 2013 at 9:02 am

      Yummy. I like the dish. It’s something different I ever seen.

      Reply
    26. Caitlin

      July 15, 2013 at 2:38 pm

      it must be so nice to have someone cooking for you while your in the midst of unpacking and settling into your new place. i want someone to come over and make me daals every night for dinner. that would be the best thing, ever.

      Reply
    27. Chitrangada

      July 14, 2013 at 8:43 pm

      Like the recipe. And love the green wooden background. Happy to follow you.

      Reply
    28. Ricki

      July 14, 2013 at 6:06 pm

      Looks fantastic! Do you know if I can use whole moong dal (or what I can use them for if not this??). I bought a HUGE bag and have no idea what to do with them! 😉

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 14, 2013 at 6:58 pm

        You can make with whole mung beans too. You can simmer the cooked beans after adding the tadka for a few minutes to incorporate the flavors, since the whole beans take longer to pick up the spices/flavors. or you can try other Mung bean stew on the blog which use whole mung beans like https://www.veganricha.com/2013/04/broccoli-dal-mung-bean-and-brown-lentil.html

        Reply
    29. Gabby @ the veggie nook

      July 14, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      YUM! Pure comfort in a bowl!

      Reply
    30. Anonymous

      July 14, 2013 at 3:57 pm

      Just made this, it’s really good! My BF also loved it, thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 14, 2013 at 6:59 pm

        Awesome! so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    31. Honey Narasiah

      July 14, 2013 at 1:34 pm

      Looks like a simple yet tasty dish! I will try this this week!

      Reply
    32. Annie

      July 14, 2013 at 1:32 pm

      I’m comin’ over!

      Reply
    33. Sevimin Aşkanasi

      July 13, 2013 at 2:38 pm

      it looks great
      very tasty

      Reply
    34. Ema

      July 13, 2013 at 8:14 am

      This looks so good. I think I know what is going to be for dinner tonight.

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 14, 2013 at 7:00 pm

        Awesome! Let me know how ti turns out!

        Reply
    35. Cadry

      July 13, 2013 at 3:34 am

      What colors! They are so vibrant and just pop! I can see where you got your cooking talents!

      Reply
    36. Divya Shivaraman

      July 13, 2013 at 12:52 am

      stew looks wonderful dear

      Reply
    37. Gayathri Ramanan

      July 12, 2013 at 11:47 pm

      Healthy, yummy and comforting food

      Reply

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