Yellow Moong Dal – Yellow Lentil Recipe

This Yellow Moong Dal recipe is an easy-to-make Indian yellow gram curry for your everyday meals. It is a common dish in most Indian households. Serve this dal with rotis or rice.

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As Indians, we’ve grown up eating dal almost every week. It’s one of the most widely eaten dishes in Indian diet; a staple food for every household. For vegetarians, it is usually accompanied by some yummy pickle and a bit of rice, rotis, naans, or bread. Non-vegetarians eat it with fried fish, fried aubergine, or some other side dish. The combination is just delicious!

Easy to make dal without a pressure cooker, dal is also a perfect vegetarian one-pot dish. And just for anyone who’s looking for yellow dal soup. Here in India, dal is never a soup. It’s always a curry! So if someone tells you they’ve got a wonderful recipe for yellow lentil soup, it’s not Indian. No way!

This is my mom’s easy moong dal recipe. Try it!

What ingredients do you need to make yellow Moong Dal?

To make this perfect yellow lentil dal in the Indian style, you’ll need Yellow Moong Dal aka Yellow Split Gram, oil, mustard seeds, tomatoes, chilies, salt, curry leaves, turmeric, and fresh coriander.

How to cook Yellow Moong Dal?

Rinse and soak the Yellow Moong Dal in cold water for about 1 hour. Drain the water before adding it to the vessel.

Chop the tomatoes, curry leaves, chillies and coriander and set aside.

In a vessel, heat oil and add the rai or mustard seeds. Allow it to sizzle till it starts to crinkle your nose.

Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander, curry leaves and green chilies and stir fry for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the yellow split gram aka moong dal, salt and water.

Also add turmeric powder and cook on a high flame for 15 minutes. Turmeric lends the yellow colour and is also a very healthy Indian spice.

When the dal is ready; sprinkle with fresh coriander, and serve with rice rotis or pav. You can optionally add a teaspoon of ghee (Indian clarified butter) on top. It enhances the flavour but isn’t a necessity. For regular days, we don’t add it. But if there are guests coming over for veg meals, dollops of ghee go on top.

What’s perfect about this Easy Yellow Dal Recipe?

• This yellow dal is simple and easy and to make, and goes well with rice, rotis, or pav. (Pav is a type of Indian bun made with yeast.)
• Moong dal is the perfect main dish for a side-dish of pickle, fried fish, or fried vegetables.
• This moong dal recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan. (If you add the optional ghee, it’s not vegan.)

Cooking Tips and Tricks

• Rinse the dal to get rid of any stray husks or other debris before soaking.
• You can add a tablespoon of ghee just before serving to enhance the taste.
• Or follow this recipe for dal bhat tarkari.
• Do not cook too long or the dal will get mushy.
• Serve with a side of bombil chutney, fried egglplant, or green chutney.
• Ratatouille gives it a fusion vibe.
• Or serve with some stir-fried paneer, buttery mushrooms, or rather any other mushroom dish.

Questions about Moong Dal or Indian Yellow Lentils

What Is Yellow Moong Dal?

Yellow Moong Dal is a Green Gram (Green Moong) that has been skinned and split.

Can You Eat Dal Every Day?

Yes, dal is easily digestible. Many Indian households eat either yellow or red dal daily with meals.

Is Dal The Curry Or The Lentil?

In India, dal can be used to mean two different things. First, the split lentils are called dals. For example, split mung is called moong dal or yellow lentils. Split red lentils are called masoor dal. Split bengal gram or chickpeas are called chana dal. Split black lentils that are skinned are called urad dal. Split pigeon peas are called toor dal.

Secondly, dal is also the name of the dish prepared from these lentils. So for instance, a curry prepared with yellow lentils is called moong dal, or a curry prepared with red lentils is called masoor dal, and so on.

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