Instant Pot Whole Green Moong Dal - Mung Bean Curry

Mung Bean Curry, or Whole Green Mung Dal, is a delicious, healthy, wholesome, nutritious, and protein-rich lentil soup that is loaded with flavors and textures.

A warm, soothing bowl of this nourishing green mung dal is packed with the goodness of whole green mung beans.

If you love mung bean recipes or any other lentils, you will definitely love this moong bean curry.

On this page, I have shared all the tips and variations to help you cook your best mung dal curry.

About Mung Bean Curry

This super delicious Indian bean curry recipe, or green moong dal, is an authentic Indian dish made with mung beans and spices. 

This quick, easy-to-make, creamy, and delicious green mung dal is comforting, warming, and filling, making it a wonderful choice for a busy weeknight dinner. 

It is best served as a side along with plain rice, jeera rice, or scooped up with roti. It can also be served as a spicy soup alongside some flatbread or sliced bread with vegetarian toppings. It is always cozy and delicious, no matter how you choose to serve it. 

Making green mung bean curry is straightforward in an Instant Pot. Plus, it can also be made in a stovetop pressure cooker. I have provided instructions for both methods in the recipe box on this page.

Comforting Mung Bean

A satisfying and delicious recipe like this Whole Moong Dal or curried mung beans is a savior on those days when you are craving a delicious home-cooked comfy meal but do not have the time and energy to cook anything elaborate. 

Made using dried mung beans or whole mung beans, it is a gluten-free mung beans curry recipe that is quickly prepared in an Instant Pot with mung beans, onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, and some aromatic spices. 

The wonderful thing about this curried mung beans recipe is that, like many other beans, this whole moong bean does not require long hours of pre-soaking. 

Indian cuisine is rich in recipes cooked with lentils, beans, and legumes. For me, growing up in India with these dishes has been an integral part of my life. 

Lentils and bean dishes are staples throughout India, and every Indian household has their own versions of every single recipe.

As a child I was never a huge fan of lentils, but I loved all types of bean curries; be it a chickpea curry (chole masala), kidney bean curry (rajma masala), black-eyed bean curry, black chickpea curry, I loved them all.  

This whole mung curry is the Instant Pot version of my mom’s pressure-cooked Mung Bean Dal, which I loved to the core and still adore. Now, my little one also relishes this Dal. :) 

What I love the most about this humble Whole Green Moong Dal is that it can be made any time of the year and easily mingle with your table menu.

With this easy mung bean curry recipe, you will be able to make the most satisfying and soothing moong dal without any fuss.

What is Green Moong Dal

Whole Green Moong Dal is known as Mung Bean or Green Gram Lentils. In the Hindi language, this is known as ‘Sabut Moong’.  

Mung beans are generally used in many stews, soups, and curry recipes in Indian cuisine. Green Moong Dal is one of the simplest staple bean dishes cooked in India.  

Unlike Chana Masala, Dal Makhani, or Rajma Masala, you will not find Whole Green Moong Dal at Indian restaurants. This is because the dals at restaurants are laden with butter and cream. But this one has no cream or butter, which makes it more suitable for everyday home cooking. It is excellent for daily eating and hence, it is cooked quite often at Indian homes. 

Making this simple dal at home is quite simple.  

This Moong Bean Curry

✔︎ is quick & easy to make. 

✔︎ is made with easily available ingredients. 

✔︎ is fuss-free and simple. 

✔︎ is hearty, healthy, delicious. 

✔︎ is protein-packed and nutritious. 

✔︎ is made in Instant Pot and can be made in a pressure cooker.

✔︎ can be served at any time of the year. 

✔︎ is gluten-free. 

✔︎ can simply be made vegan. 

✔︎ makes a great comforting weeknight dinner along with rice or flatbread. 

✔︎ can be served with any type of rice or flatbreads. 

✔︎ can be enjoyed as a curry or soup. 

✔︎is a terrific way to enjoy plant-based protein. 

Ingredients for Mung Bean Curry

The ingredients I am using for this recipe are very basic ingredients used in Indian cooking. 

_These ingredients are: _

• Asafetida

• Coriander (cilantro) leaves

• Cumin seeds  

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Green chilies

• Mustard seeds

• Oil + ghee (or vegan butter)

• Onions

• Powdered spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, black salt, regular salt, garam masala powder, and chaat masala powder)

• Tomatoes

• Water

• Whole green mung beans 

Buying Mung Bean

Mung beans are easily available in grocery stores in many countries. You can easily find them at local grocery stores in the bean aisle.

However, if you do find them at a local grocery store then you can order them online through online marketplaces, or from Asian grocery stores in your city. 

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this dal with almost everything such as rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, couscous, or flatbreads such as garlic naan, tortilla, garlic tandoori roti, paratha. Or serve it with a toasted baguette or any other slices of bread of your choice. 

Meal ideas to serve this Instant Pot Mung Bean:

Meal idea 1: Instant Pot Mung Bean, jeera rice, lachha paratha, onion tomato raita

Meal idea 2: Instant Pot Mung Bean, Plain Rice, roti,  and Boondi Raita 

Meal idea 3: Instant Pot Mung Bean, Pad Wali Roti, and Pineapple Raita

Meal idea 4: Instant Pot Mung Bean, Mint Coriander Tandoori Roti, and plain yogurt

Meal idea 5: Instant Pot Mung Bean, whole wheat naan, and Veggie Boondi Raita

How to make Instant Pot Mung Bean Curry

Making Mung Bean in an Instant Pot is a breeze. This is how you do it in simple 5 steps. 

Step 1: Soak beans and chop veggies. 

Step 2: Sauté onion, ginger garlic, green chilies, and tomatoes in mustard seeds and cumin seeds tempered oil. 

Step 3: Add spices, mung bean, and water to the pot liner. 

Step 4: Cover the lid and pressure cook mung beans on high for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. 

Step 5: Add chaat masala powder, garam masala powder, ghee, and cilantro leaves. Mix well. Done. 

Check out the detailed recipe with full instructions in the recipe box on this page.

Mung Bean Curry on a Stove Top Pressure cooker

Preparing this dal in a stovetop pressure cooker is similar to the Instant Pot version. So, you need to follow the same steps as an Instant Pot. 

The only difference is in the pressure cooking. Here, instead of pressure cooking for 15 minutes, you need to cook them for 5 whistles on medium-high heat. That’s it. 

_I have given the detailed instructions for stovetop pressure cooking in the recipe box on this page. _

Mung Bean Curry Variations

###*Mung Bean coconut curry

To make mung bean coconut curry, add 1-5 cups of thick full-fat coconut milk or 1/4 cup coconut cream to this curry after opening the instant pot or pressure cooker. Rest of the recipe will be the same.

Veggie Mung Bean Curry

Love veggies with beans or dals? Then feel free to add vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, or cabbage to this mung bean curry recipe.

Pro tips & variations to make the Mung Bean Curry at home

1. Soaking Mung Bean: cooking with mung beans, pre-soaking mung beans is recommended as it reduces the cooking time and aids in digestion. So, I usually soak my mung beans for 1 hour prior to cooking for a melt-in-mouth texture. But you can cook them without soaking. If you are planning to cook them without soaking, then increase the cooking time by 2 minutes.

2. Serving: I used plain water for cooking dals, but you can also cook this mung bean in vegetable stock. It would taste delicious.

3. Ghee: I have added some ghee at the end. This is because it enhances the flavor of this green moong dal and it is easy on the stomach. If you are making a vegan version, then add any nut butter of your choice.

4. Yogurt: At the time of serving you can add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream. It tastes wonderful.

5. Green Mung Soup: If you are planning to enjoy it as a soup, then it might be a bit spicy for the soup recipe. In that case, you can omit the green chili and red chili powder. Also, you can top this dal with some chopped veggies and herbs like onions, cucumbers, carrot, tomatoes, and cilantro leaves.

6. Serve it as a curry: If you are planning to serve it as a curry, then make sure to drizzle your dal with a splash of lemon juice. It amplifies the flavor of this green moong dal and takes it to another new level.

7. Secret ingredient: I added black salt to this recipe because it perks up the flavor of this green mung bean curry. If you cannot find black salt, then you can replace it with pink salt or rock salt.

8. Tomatoes: For this green mung dal recipe, use freshly chopped tomatoes if possible. However, if you do not have fresh tomatoes then replace them with 4 tablespoons of tomato puree.

9. Customize: You can skip some spices such as cumin powder, and chaat masala powder if you don’t find them handy.  

10. Spices: You can replace coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder with 2 teaspoons of curry powder.

11. Cooking: I cook my dal in oil and add some ghee at the end. But if you want rich flavor and aroma then you can cook your dal entirely in ghee.

12. Perfect consistency: This dal thickens further as it cools. So when you want to eat, add the hot water to thin it out. Also, give it a boil.

13. No Onion Garlic Mung Dal: Omit onion and garlic to make it a no-onion garlic recipe.

14. Adjust Consistency: After cooking, if the dal is too watery then sauté it for a few minutes or until you get the desired consistency. If the dal is too thick, then you can add some hot water to adjust the consistency. 

Faq

Is Green Mung Bean Dal Vegan? 

I added some ghee at the end, so it is not vegan. But you can make it entirely vegan by replacing ghee with vegan butter. 

Can I freeze this Whole Green Moong Dal? 

Yes, this mung bean curry or green mung dal is freezer friendly. To store, transfer cooled leftover mung dal to a freezer-safe container or a Ziplock bag for up to 2 months.  

Just thaw it at room temperature before serving and then heat it up in a microwave or in a pan. To enhance the flavors of this dal, you can add some garam masala and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves to this mung dal.

Instant Pot Whole Green Moong Dal - Mung Bean Curry [Recipe]

Enjoy this delicious and healthy mung bean curry, packed with protein and perfect for a nutritious meal option.

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★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 150 reviews)

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Prep time 🕐	Cook time 🕐	Total time 🕐
1 hours 10 mins	20 mins	1 hours 30 mins
Category ☶	Cuisine ♨	Serves ☺
Sides	Indian	4
Nutrition Info ⊛		Serving size ⊚
240 calories		1 serving

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INGREDIENTS

For Whole Green Moong Dal or Mung Bean Dal

• 1 cup whole green mung beans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon ghee (or vegan butter)
• 1 tablespoon ginger minced or grated
• 1 teaspoon coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• 2 small green chilies, slit
• 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
• 4 cups water + 3-4 tablespoons
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)

Powdered spices:

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder, (or according to taste)
• 3/4 teaspoon chaat masala powder

For Serving

• Cilantro (coriander) leaves
• Lemon wedges

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INSTRUCTIONS:

How to make Whole Green Moong Dal in Instant Pot

1. Rinse mung bean and soak them in cold water for 1 hour. (You can skip the soaking part if you don't have time).Drain and set aside.
2. Press the sauté button in your Instant pot and add the ghee/oil it.
3. Once hot, add the asafetida, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds to the pot liner.
4. Sauté for 30-40 seconds or until the seeds sizzle and turn aromatic.
5. Next, add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for 1 minute.
6. After that, add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or till slightly softened.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Now add black salt, regular salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric powder.
9. Stir well and add 2-3 tablespoons of water.
10. Let the spices cook for about 1 minute. Also, deglaze the pot if you see that some masala has stuck to the bottom.
11. Now add mung bean and mix everything well to combine.
12. Add water and stir it.
13. Cover the instant pot with the lid, set the valve to sealing position.
14. Press the manual or pressure cook button. Adjust or pressure level button to set the pressure to HIGH. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Cook for about 17 minutes if you are not soaking them for 1 hour. (Pressure building takes around 10 minutes in Instant Pot. So be patient and don't try to open the lid to see why pressure is not building.)
15. Natural release pressure. Cancel and press the sauté button.
16. Add chaat masala powder, and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
17. Next, add coriander leaves and ghee. Mix and cook for 1 minute.
18. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

How to make Whole Green Moong Dal in a stovetop pressure cooker:

1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker.
2. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and asafoetida.
3. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté 1 minute.
4. Add the chopped onions and sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
5. Then add tomatoes and stir well. Mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
6. Now add the spices (coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, black salt, regular salt) and mix well and cook for a few seconds.
7. Next, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, and sauté for another 2 more minutes.
8. Then, add the soaked beans, water, and mix well.
9. Cover the cooker with a lid and pressure cook on medium-high heat for 5 whistles.
10. Turn off the stove, and let the pressure cool off completely before opening the lid.
11. Open the lid and add chaat masala powder, and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
12. Next, add coriander leaves and ghee. Mix well and cook for 1 minute.
13. Serve this Whole Green Moong Dal hot with paratha or any other flatbread of your choice.

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NOTES:

1. This dal thickens further as it cools. So when you want to eat, add the hot water to thin it out. Also, give it a boil.
2. Omit onion and garlic to make it a no-onion garlic recipe.
3. After cooking, if the dal is too watery then sauté it for a few minutes or until you get the desired consistency. If the dal is too thick, then you can add some hot water to adjust the consistency.
4. You can replace coriander powder cumin powder and garam masala powder with 2 teaspoons of curry powder.
5. I cook my dal in oil and add some ghee at the end. But if you want rich flavor and aroma then you can cook your dal entirely in ghee.
6. For this recipe, use freshly chopped tomatoes if possible. However, if you do not have fresh tomatoes then replace them with 4 tablespoons of tomato puree.

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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/instant-pot-mung-bean-curry/

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