Green Moong Dal / Mung Bean Curry – Instant Pot & Stovetop

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.

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 soups – Chana Dal, Moong Dal Fry, and Moth Bean Curry.

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

Watch How to Make Green Moong Dal / Mung Bean Curry

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.

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.

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.

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.

Garnish with cilantro, and enjoy.

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.

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.

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

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:

• Spinach Dal
• Dal Tadka
• Dal Makhani
• Panchmel Dal