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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!
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
Thank you Barbara, some of my fave meals are these easy ones from my mom !
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.
great – i’m glad that it turned out so well for you
Easy, yummy and comforting.
I have a question – What causes the red color in the oil on the photo?
the asafetida and garlic on roasting add a golden brown hue.
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 😉
i know right. Simple ingredients and somuch flavor!
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.
awesome!
What do you call those cute copper bowls? I can’t find them. Love this!
They are called Kadhai (or copper kadhai) and you can find them on Amazon or you can also find them in Indian stores.
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
awesome!!
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 🙂
I am cooking it now. O bet it will be as good as the comments. My mouth is watering.
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
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.