Wholesome Green Moong Dal is a delicious creamy lentil soup that is so easy and quick to make in a pressure cooker. This mung bean curry is a protein-packed, comforting meal with rice made with mung beans, onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. Vegan & Gluten-free.

Green moong beans dal with basmati rice

This is a North Indian-style recipe for green moong dal. This dal is also known as sabut moong dal (sabot means whole), chilka moong dal (chilka means with skin), or green gram dal, or mung beans.

Growing up, this dal used to be made almost every week for dinner. We always had a veggie curry, lentil or legume, and roti (Indian flatbread) for dinner. Some days, we would have rice, but not every day. This is a very typical North Indian dinner.

This dal is also popular in other parts of India. In Gujarat, it is called mag; in Tamil Nadu, it is called pachai payaru curry.

If you don’t have green moong dal in your pantry, check out other popular North Indian lentil soupsChana Dal, Moong Dal Fry, and Moth Bean Curry.

Don’t forget to check out my post for 29 Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes

Is Green Moong Dal healthy?

Green Moong Dal, also called Mung beans, are high in protein and fiber, making it easier to digest and keeping us full for longer. This is why this dal is considered to help with weight loss. Each cup serving of whole moong dal contains around 15g of fiber and 14g of protein.

They are also a good source of vitamins, minerals, potassium, and magnesium. They are also high in antioxidants.

Whole Moong beans are a good source of folate, which makes them great to eat during pregnancy.

Moong beans are versatile and can be eaten as soup, curry, or salad. So, do incorporate them into your diet.

Green Moong Dal curry in a bowl garnished with cilantro

Curious about pulses used in Indian cooking? Check out my detailed guide about Indian Pulses.

Ingredients

The main ingredient for this curried mung bean recipe is dry green mung beans. These can be easily found in Indian grocery stories. You can also find these in some regions at mainstream stores such as Whole Foods and Costco. And they are also easily available on Amazon to ship.

Other than the dal, we mostly use pantry ingredients such as – onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and spices.

ingredients to make green moong dal

How to Make Green Moong Lentils in Instant Pot? 

I do not soak these lentils.  If you have planned well, you can reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes. I usually don’t plan much for lentils, as I know I can easily and quickly cook them in the pressure cooker.

Heat ghee (oil for vegan) in the instant pot in sauté mode and add the cumin seeds. Then add green chili, onions, ginger, and garlic.

Saute for about 3 minutes until the onions soften. Then, add the chopped tomato and spices.

Now add in the rinsed green moong dal and water.

instant pot green moong dal steps

Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Then, let the pressure release naturally.

If you are in a hurry, it is also okay to open the instant pot after 15 minutes of natural pressure release.

Add the lime juice and mix the dal well.

mung bean curry in the instant pot

Garnish with cilantro, and enjoy.

Creamy delicious Green Moong lentils soup in a bowl garnished with cilantro leaves

How to cook in Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

Follow the same process as in the video when cooking on a stovetop pressure cooker. Cook on high flame for 2 whistles and then change to medium-low flame and let it cook for another 8 minutes.

Green Moong Dal in a ladle on top of the instant pot

How to Serve?

This Green Moong Dal pairs perfectly with basmati rice. You can also pair it with quinoa or cauliflower rice. Pair with kachumber salad and raita.

Sometimes, we also like to add a bit of tempering to the dal when serving. This is the red color oil (or ghee) along with the sautéed garlic you see on the top of the bowl of dal in the pics.

Green Moong Dal with rice topped with a tempering of ghee and cumin seeds

To make the tempering, in a small pan, heat ghee or oil. Add some cumin seeds and finely diced or sliced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute until the garlic becomes golden in color. Then, take the pan off the heat and add a pinch of red chili powder. I prefer Kashmiri red chili powder, as it is not spicy.

Drizzle this tempering over the dal when serving. It adds such a beautiful pop of color!

Tips for Perfect Mung Bean Curry

Make it Vegan: Replace ghee with your favorite plant-based oil to make this recipe vegan.

Add veggies or greens: If you plan to enjoy this as a soup, add veggies like carrots and sweet potato to celery along with the lentils before you pressure cook. Stir spinach or kale at the end to make this a hearty vegetable lentil soup.

Double the quantity: You can also double this recipe with the same cooking time. The pressure cooker will take longer to come to pressure. This lentil also freezes well, so it is great for meal prep.

Use my Onion Tomato Bhuna Masala: You can use 1/2 cup of this masala and skip onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic in this recipe. Do adjust the spices to your taste.  

Using split green moong dal in this recipe: You can follow the same recipe, but pressure cook for only 6 minutes.

Common Questions

Do we need to soak the sabut moong dal before cooking?

It is not required to soak the dal. But if you prefer, soak it for 1 hour up to overnight. Reduce the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes for soaked dal.

How to store leftover dal?

Leftover cooked dal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze the dal for up to 4 months.
Transfer to the refrigerator to defrost, then reheat in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, depending on the quantity of dal.

Green Moong Dal Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Enjoy this easy and delicious green lentil soup.

If you like this recipe, you might like the below Indian Lentil favorites made in a pressure cooker:

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4.92 from 180 votes

Green Moong Dal (Mung Bean Curry)

Wholesome Green Moong lentils simmered in onion-tomato gravy made in Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker). A protein rich mung bean curry, enjoy as a lentil soup along with a side of rice. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Spices

Instructions 

Instant Pot Method

  • Start the instant pot in SAUTE mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds, green chili and saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. 
  • Add chopped tomato, spices and stir. 
  • Add lentils and water. Stir well. Press CANCEL and close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position.
  • Press MANUAL or Pressure Cook mode for 15 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally (NPR).
  • Open the lid and add lime juice and cilantro. Stir and green moong dal is ready to be served.  

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

  • Heat oil in the pressure cooker on medium-high flame. Add cumin seeds, green chili and saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for 3 minute. 
  • Add chopped tomato, spices and stir. 
  • Add lentils and water. Stir well. 
  • Cover the lid, turn the heat on high flame and pressure cook it until your hear two whistles. Now reduce the flame to medium and pressure cook it for another 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. 
  • Open the lid and add lime juice and cilantro. Stir and green moong dal is ready to be served.  

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Spice level: To reduce spice, skip the green chili and red chili powder.  
Soaking: I did not soak the dal in this recipe. If you soak for 3-4 hours, reduce cooking time to 12 minutes.
Double recipe: This recipe can be doubled with no change in cooking time. 
Vegan variation:  Use oil when tempering in step 1. 
Using a prepared curry sauce: Here is my Bhuna Masala (curry sauce) recipe. You can use 1/2 cup of this masala and skip onion, tomato, ginger and garlic in this recipe. Do adjust the spices to your taste.  
Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don’t forget to adjust to your taste. 
Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker. 

Nutrition

Serving: 339gCalories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 644mgPotassium: 822mgFiber: 10gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 454IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 4mg

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Diet: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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  1. I truly enjoy your recipes as a single person and a beginner in the kitchen. Appreciated has never felt better. Thank you.