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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.
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.
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
Pour sizzling tadka into cooked dal. Mix lightly and serve.
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
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry Moong dal,, Mung Dal / petite yellow lentils (split and skinned mung bean)
- 3 cups water, 3.5 cups for thinner consistency
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 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 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
Calories: 417kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 5g, Sodium: 691mg, Potassium: 1307mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 120IU, Vitamin C: 9.1mg, Calcium: 156mg, Iron: 7.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
I read the reviews, and am going to make this today, but I’m not sure what you mean by ‘green pepper’ as there are many varieties. Sure would help to know! ~ Thank you.
Serrano or jalapeño or Indian chili pepper
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.
yay!
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.
smart!
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!
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.
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.
always be careful!