Easy to cook, nutritious and wholesome mung/moong daal tadka always hits the spot when we’re craving something light yet nourishing and satisfying. It is the most frequently prepared daal in Indian homes though not cooked in the same way everywhere.
Daal is the Indian term for dried pulses, like lentils, peas or beans but it is also the term used when speaking about a dish made with lentils. Mung daal tadka is made from green mung beans which are split with the outer green hull stripped off. Alternately, this daal is also known as peeli daal means yellow lentil. These teeny tiny lentils cook fast compared to the regular green mung, and pre-soaking is not required.
This is my mom’s recipe, and during India’s hot summers, this was a regular at our lunch/dinner. Till today, It gets repeated the most in my kitchen too. Not because it is a healthy lentil, I love the taste and cook this daal in many different ways depending upon the season and mood. I have another peeli daal recipe on my blog that can be found here. This recipe is quite simple and easy to cook too, with really few ingredients. And the instant pot makes it in minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no problem. This can be easily made on the stove top in a regular pot. You follow the same steps just cook the daal for some extra time by adding more water.
To make this lentil, first, I sauté the tadka in the IP, which I remove in a bowl and then cook the daal in the same Instapot. The reserved tadka is stirred in the finished daal just before serving. In English Tadka is known as tempering, it is a technique widely used in Indian cuisine, in which aromatics and whole spices are heated in hot oil or ghee and the mixture is added to a dish. The tempering adds zestful of flavors to anything you add it to. It is also known as chaunk or bagar in different parts of India. This Daal is supposed to be thick and creamy, not runny. It’s perfect with some rice or naan or just eaten on its own.
after opening the lid
Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you make it, please do share your feedback with me here or tag me in pictures on social media. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook and twitter.
Perfect summertime daal made with least amount of effort.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dhuli mung (yellow split moong)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2-3/4 tsp red chili powder
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- Few curry leaves
Instructions
- Select the Sauté (normal) setting on your Instant Pot and heat up the coconut oil. Once it's shimmering, add the mustard seeds. Let it pop.
- Add dry red chili, curry leaves and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds and red chili are roasted, scoop out 1/2 of the tempering in a bowl.
- Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until brown (but not burnt).
- Add turmeric and red chili powder stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Add the lentils, water and sea salt. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Press Cancel.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and seal. Select the Pressure Cook (or Manual, depending on your model) setting and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes.
- Once the 4 minute time is up, allow natural pressure release for 5 minute before switching the pressure release valve from Sealing to Venting.
- Open the Instant Pot and give the daal a stir. Taste for seasonings. Add hot water if required and stir. It is going to thicken as it sits. Top it with the reserved tadka.
angiesrecipes
Indeed very yummy, healthy and easy to prepare, esp. if you have an IP 🙂
Laura
I love any lentil dish, and this one sounds so lovely and satisfying! Thanks for the recipe!
amrita roy
Daal are staple for us….Never tried moong dal with curry leaves tadka… looks good
Monika Dabrowski
Sounds delicious and easy, I love recipes that are full of flavour and with a short list of ingredients.
Maria
Soupy daal is an all season comfort food at our place. Mung daal is especially recommended in summer for being easier to digest and light on stomach. I love your simple recipe with that sizzling, flavoursome tarka.
Easyfoodsmith
Love all kinds of dals and every kind of tadka. So delicious!
Judee
Your entire meal looks amazing and I love that it can be made in the Instant Pot!
John / Kitchen Riffs
Dal is wonderful stuff, isn’t it? Lotta great flavor in this dish — really nice. Thanks!
Dolly Aizenman
I love this recipe, as I am always looking for Daal recipes. I especially like the Instant Pot feature. Most of all, I am happy to re-connect with you, dear friend!