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+ servings

Basic Mung Dal

Course lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, supper
Cuisine Indian
Keyword dal, dhal, lentil, moong, mung, mung bean
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 158kcal
Author Planted and Picked

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil ghee is traditionally used if not vegan
  • 1 cup mung dal
  • ½ cup onions, diced
  • 2 inches ginger, grated or sliced into small sticks
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 lime

Instructions

  • Place mung dal in a bowl. Run under water, stirring with your hand. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear and there are no bubbles forming on the surface.
  • The beans are okay to use at this point; however, to make them even more digestible, we like to soak them overnight and then give them one more rinse in the morning.
  • Peel the fresh ginger and either slice into small sticks or mince it. Dice the onion.
  • Heat a large pot on the stove on medium heat. Add the coconut oil.
  • Add the cumin seeds and cook for about a minute (until they release their aroma). Be careful not to burn.
  • Add ginger, sea salt and onions to the pot. Continue to cook until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garam masala and stir to combine.
  • While the onions are cooking, fill a kettle of water and set to boil.
  • Add the drained mung dal and a pinch of black pepper if using. Stir to coat the mung dal.
  • Add 3 cups of the boiling water and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes to make sure it doesn't stick.
  • This should be slightly runny. If you prefer a more soup like texture, you can add more water.
  • Once done, squeeze the juice of a lime into the mung dal. You can serve this with some chopped cilantro as well.
  • We eat this nutritious dish with some rice, steamed greens, a dollop of coconut yogurt and some mango chutney.
  • For different variations of this dish, you can add seasonal vegetables to it while cooking such as carrots, sweet potatoes or chopped greens. You can also vary the spices with coriander, mustard seeds, cardamom pods or fennel as examples.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg