Healthy Moong Dal Recipes for Everyday Cooking
Moong dal is quick to cook, easy to digest and endlessly versatile. Here are everyday recipes from dal tadka and chilla to sprouts salad and soup.
HealthyDietDaily Editorial Team · · Updated
If there is one pulse that almost every Indian kitchen relies on, it is moong. Split yellow moong cooks in minutes, whole green moong sprouts easily, and both are gentle on the stomach. Moong dal is a good source of plant protein and fibre and adapts to everything from a simple tadka to breakfast chillas.
Why moong dal is a kitchen favourite
Quick: split yellow moong cooks in about 15 minutes in a pot, even faster in a pressure cooker.
Light: it is commonly given to children, older adults and people recovering from illness because it is easy to digest.
Versatile: dal, khichdi, chilla, soup, salad and even dosa.
Nourishing: like other pulses, it brings protein and fibre, which makes it one of the best protein sources for vegetarians.
Recipe 1: Yellow moong dal tadka
Ingredients (serves 3)
Three-quarters of a cup of yellow moong dal
One tomato, chopped; turmeric and salt
For tempering: one teaspoon of ghee or oil, cumin, garlic, dried red chilli and a pinch of hing
Method
Wash the dal and cook it with three cups of water, turmeric and salt until soft.
Add the tomato and simmer for five minutes.
Heat ghee, add cumin, garlic, red chilli and hing, and pour it over the dal.
Serve with rotis or a small portion of rice and a vegetable.
Recipe 2: Palak moong dal
Cook moong dal as above and stir in two cups of chopped spinach for the last five minutes. Temper with garlic and cumin. It adds greens to the meal without extra effort.
Recipe 3: Moong dal chilla
Soak yellow moong dal for two hours, grind with ginger and green chilli, and cook thin chillas on a tawa with a little oil. Fill with grated paneer or vegetables. It works for breakfast, lunch boxes and evening snacks.
Recipe 4: Moong dal khichdi
Cook equal or more dal than rice with vegetables, cumin and turmeric. Serve with curd. Our healthy dinner recipes include a full vegetable khichdi method.
Recipe 5: Green moong sprouts salad
How to sprout moong
Soak whole green moong overnight.
Drain, cover with a damp cloth and keep in a warm place for one to two days, rinsing once or twice a day.
Use when small tails appear.
Making the salad
Lightly steam the sprouts, then toss with onion, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, coriander, lemon juice and chaat masala.
Recipe 6: Moong dal soup
Pressure cook moong dal with tomato, carrot and ginger, blend until smooth, and season with pepper, cumin powder and lemon. A light dinner or a warm starter.
Recipe 7: Whole moong curry
Cook soaked whole green moong with an onion-tomato masala until soft. It is heartier than split dal and goes well with rotis or millet rotis.
Tips for cooking moong dal well
Soak whole moong for a few hours to reduce cooking time.
Skim the foam while boiling dal in an open pot.
Use one teaspoon of ghee or oil for tempering; flavour comes from cumin, garlic and hing more than from the amount of fat.
Store cooked dal in the fridge and use within a day or two; reheat until hot.
A note on safety
Raw and lightly cooked sprouts can carry harmful bacteria, as other raw foods can. Wash them well, keep them cold and steam them for young children, pregnant women, older adults and anyone with low immunity. People with kidney disease or those advised to limit protein or potassium should ask their doctor about pulses. See our medical disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Is moong dal good for weight loss?
Moong dal is filling and has protein and fibre, so it suits a weight-loss diet. The portion, the oil in the tadka and the rest of your meals still matter.
Is yellow or green moong healthier?
Both are nutritious. Whole green moong keeps the skin, so it has a little more fibre; split yellow moong cooks faster and is lighter.
Can moong dal be eaten every day?
Many families do. Rotating it with other dals and legumes gives more variety in nutrients and flavour.
Do I need to soak moong dal?
Split yellow moong does not need soaking for dal. Soaking helps for chilla batter, and whole moong benefits from soaking before cooking or sprouting.
Key takeaways
Keep moong dal as a daily staple, use it in dal, chilla, khichdi, soup and sprouts, temper it with little fat, and handle sprouts safely. For more protein sources see our vegetarian protein list, and get a weekly plan with the free assessment.