• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Category Index
  • How To

Indian Ambrosia

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Category
  • Collections
  • Chicken
  • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • Instant Pot
  • Quick & Easy
  • What's New
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Category
  • Collections
  • Chicken
  • Vegetarian
  • Subscribe
  • Instant Pot
  • Quick & Easy
  • What's New
  • About
×
You are here: Home » Lentils and Beans

Published: Sep 18, 2021 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

Dry Moong Dal Recipe (Easy and Delicious)

296 shares
  • 146
Jump to Recipe
Dry moong dal and roti in two plates.

This dry moong dal recipe is nutritious, full of flavor and easy on the stomach. It is made with a few, readily available ingredients and comes together very quickly. A simple dal recipe that works as a side dish in an elaborate Indian meal or as a complete meal on its own with roti (Indian bread) and onion raita (spiced yogurt).

Dry moong dal in a bowl with paratha.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE THIS POST?

Enter your email to get this post directly in your inbox. Plus, get subscribed to the Indian Ambrosia newsletter!

It is no secret that in Indian cooking, most lentils have a soup like consistency with a lot of liquid. However, moong or mung dal (split yellow lentils) tastes really good in a dry form: soaked and drained moong lentils are stir-fried in onions, tomatoes, garlic and spices (mmm...) until soft. The dal is topped with green chillies and cilantro for a fresh sabzi style dish.

Serve this pot of deliciousness with some piping hot roti and dollops of raita, and you'll be in foodie heaven, I promise! It's nothing fancy, for sure, but the best things in life are often simple and easy:)

Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 💭 Top tips
  • Serving suggestions
  • More dal recipes for you
  • 📖 Recipe

🥘 Ingredients

Here's a picture of the ingredients needed for this dry moong dal recipe. Exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down in the post.

dry moong dal ingredients

🔪 Instructions

Preparation

  • Wash and soak the moong dal in water for about an hour.
  • Dice the onions and chop the garlic and tomatoes.

Cooking

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add the diced onions and fry on medium heat until the onions are golden in color.
  • Add the garlic and fry for one minute. 
  • Add the tomatoes, powdered spices, salt, and a quarter cup water. Keep stirring until the tomatoes break down.
  • Drain the dal and add it to the above masala. Mix well and stir the dal with a spoon for five minutes, adding splashes of water to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
  • Add half a cup water, lower the heat, and cover the dal with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until the dal is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. 
  • Top with green chillies and cilantro. Serve hot.

💭 Top tips

  • Don't over brown the onions - While frying the onions, add the garlic just as the onions start to caramelize and turn a golden color. You do this so your dal does not have an unappealing brown tinge and looks fresh and bright yellow. Taking the browning too far also changes the taste, so avoid it.
  • Don't over cook the dal - The dal should be tender but not mushy. We want a thick consistency with very little liquid and with the grains separate and not clumped together. 
Dry moong dal in two plates with roti and in a bowl with spoon.

Serving suggestions

  • There are so many possibilities when it comes to dal! The simplest way to have this dry moong dal is with Indian flatbread or roti.
  • You can also experiment with a few 'add-ons' to see what you like best! For example, a fresh salad consisting of sliced cucumbers, onions and tomatoes tastes great with dal and roti.
  • Add some achar (pickle) and a raita for an even tastier combo.
  • Go for a full Indian meal and include a simple sabzi (vegetable curry) to the mix. Aloo shimla mirch (potatoes and green peppers) or a mixed vegetable curry work well here. Both are quick and easy recipes, so you don't have to work too hard to get this combination going.

More dal recipes for you

If you love the idea of trying different lentils in their 'Indian dal' avatar, there is an infinite variety to choose from! Here are just a few tried and tested recipes on the blog.

  • Whole Masoor Dal - Curry style brown lentils with a tempering of ghee, onions, garlic, and cumin.
  • Chana Dal - Split and husked brown chickpeas that get transformed into a creamy, flavorful curry that tastes so good with rice.
  • Dal Makhani - Indian black lentils and kidney beans cooked in tomatoes, spices, butter and cream. Impossibly smooth and buttery and tastes awesome with homemade whole wheat naan.
  • Maash Dal - Split black gram lentils (husked) with a unique nutty taste which gets enhanced with a tempering of ginger, green chillies, and a dash of mint.
Moong dal with roti in two grey plates with chopped cilantro in small bowl.

📖 Recipe

dry moong dal in plate with roti

Dry Moong Dal Recipe

Saima Zaidi
This dry moong dal recipe is nutritious, full of flavor and easy on the stomach. It is made with a few, readily available ingredients and comes together very quickly. A simple dal recipe that works as a side dish in an elaborate Indian meal or as a complete meal on its own with roti (Indian bread) and onion raita (spiced yogurt).
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Soaking Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course Side
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 318 kcal

Equipment

  • Pyrex bowl
  • Saucepan
  • A large spoon

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup moong dal
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1.5 cup red onions diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 green chillies
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Wash the moong dal until the water runs clear. Soak it in a pyrex bowl with enough water to cover it and keep it aside for one hour.
  • Dice the onions and chop the garlic and tomatoes.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add the diced onions and fry on medium heat until the onions are golden in color.
  • Add the garlic and fry for one minute.
  • Add the tomatoes, all the powdered spices and salt. Add a quarter cup water if the masala is too thick. Stir it with a spoon until the tomatoes break down.
  • Drain the dal and add it to the saucepan. Mix well and stir the dal with a spoon for five minutes, adding splashes of water to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
  • Add half a cup water, lower the heat, and cover the dal with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until the dal is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Top with green chillies and cilantro. Serve hot.

Notes

  1. Do not over brown the onions. Add the garlic just as the onions start to caramelize and turn a golden color. 
  2. Do not over cook the dal. The consistency of the dal should be thick with very little liquid. The grains should be separate and not clumped together. 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 14gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 686mgPotassium: 219mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 701IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 3mg
Keyword dry moong dal, Indian dal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Lentils and Beans

  • Moong dal in a bowl with a tempering of onions, tomatoes, cumin and garlic.
    Moong Dal Recipe
  • Chana dal and rice in a plate.
    Instant Pot Chana Dal Recipe (No Soak)
  • maash ki daal in bowl with spoon
    Maash ki Daal (White Urad Dal Recipe)
  • chana pulao with raita in plate
    Kabuli Chana Pulao (Quick Chickpea Pilaf)
296 shares
  • 146

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynne S says

    July 17, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    Really delicious, I'm excited to look around your site for more recipes to try! Thank you for this recipe, one I will be making part of our rotation.

    Reply
    • Saima says

      August 05, 2022 at 2:46 am

      Thank you Lynne!

      Reply
4.88 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

headshot of Saima

Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

More about me →

Popular Posts

  • chicken malai tikka skewers on a plate with green chutney and roti on the side
    Chicken Malai Tikka

  • pooris on a checkered red and white cloth in a red basket
    Crispy and Fluffy Puri Recipe (Fried Indian Poori Bread)

  • Lamb karahi gosht in a bowl with a spoon.
    Lamb Karahi Gosht (Indian Lamb Curry)

  • Palak paneer in a bowl.
    Palak Paneer

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Newsletter

  • Subscribe for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Indian Ambrosia

Indian Ambrosia uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, we will assume you're okay with the terms:) GOT IT Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.