Creamy Moong Dal

An easy, garlicky Indian style Moong Dal that is super easy to make with just seven ingredients. Perfect for a weeknight meal -- just serve it with basmati rice or roti! A soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free and vegan recipe.

I once read a magazine article where the writer asked a number of Indian celebrities what their favorite meal was--their comfort meal. Most of these people were not vegetarians (most Indians aren't). But the reason their responses stuck in my memory was that they were, in most cases, the same: dal chawal, they said. Cooked by mom.

Dal chawal (dal and rice) sits at the core of every Indian meal and to so many of us, no matter where in the world we live, it really is comfort food. It is what we grew up eating, thanks to our moms, and it is what we eat most days, regardless of where we fall on the veg-nonveg spectrum.

Dal is, of course, not one recipe. The word "dal" simply translates to "lentils" and it is a collective term used around parts of India for lentil dishes that are usually soupy and eaten with rice or roti.

Not all dals are called dal, depending on where you are in India. A sambar or kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu, a varan in Maharashtra, a pappu in Andhra Pradesh and a dalitoy in the Konkan are all dals by other names.

One of my comfort dals, and one of Jay's too (dals tend to be very kid-friendly), is this extremely simple and tasty Moong Dal.

This dal is made with moong lentils or moong dal--split yellow mung beans without the skin on. They're tiny and yellow and you can easily find them online or in Indian grocery stores. They are not to be substituted with the whole green mung bean which has its skin on, or with moong dal chilka, which is the split bean but with the skin still on.

Moong dal is packed with protein and fiber, like other lentils. When cooked up, it becomes very creamy and has a really pretty yellow color that looks extremely appetizing. It also has a unique flavor that shines through in this simple dish.

Ingredients for moong dal

• 1½ cups mung lentils (split yellow moong dal, without the skin)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 green chile peppers (like serrano, split down the middle, deseed for less heat)
• 1 tbsp ginger (grated)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 cloves garlic (you can use more for an even more garlicky dal. Peel the garlic cloves and crush the whole cloves with the flat portion of the knife, then chop roughly. You don't want to mince them--there should be some big pieces of garlic in the dal)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cilantro (optional, for garnish)

How to make moong dal

• Begin by boiling the lentils (rinse them first) with the turmeric, green chilies and ginger so the flavors of the spices and herbs infuse the lentils.
• You can cook the dal one of three ways--in a pressure cooker, in the Instant Pot, or on the stovetop. The pressure cooker and IP are the quickest, so use them if you have them.
  • In a pressure cooker, cover the dal with two inches of water and cook for three whistles, or for approx 10 minutes after it reaches pressure depending on your model (check your manufacturer instructions).
  • In an Instant Pot, pressure cook the dal, again covered by at least two inches of water, on the "manual" setting for 10 minutes.
  • On the stovetop, place the rinsed lentils, turmeric, chile peppers and ginger in a saucepan and cover with at least two inches of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to a simmer, and let the lentils cook until they're really soft. Check frequently and add water if the lentils dry up. There should always be enough water in the pan to cover the lentils while they cook.
• Once the lentils are cooked, I like blending half of them to a smooth puree and mixing them back with the remaining lentils. This gives your dal a really creamy texture, while still retaining some complexity. You can skip this step, but I really advise it. (You can fish out the green chile peppers before blending--at this point they've given up most of their flavor to the dal).
• Make the tempering or tadka by heating the coconut oil in a saucepan.
• Add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to sputter, add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes until the garlic pieces turn golden but don't let them burn. Burnt garlic will taste bitter.
• Add the dal to the pot and mix well. Add more water if needed. One of the most common mistakes I see cooks unfamiliar with Indian cooking make is making their dal thick and gloppy. Dal is not meant to be thick in most cases--it should be soupy but creamy so you can mix it into your rice.
• Once the dal comes to a boil and has the right consistency, let it continue to simmer for five more minutes. Check salt, turn off the heat, and garnish with the cilantro, if using.
• Dal always thickens on standing, and moong dal especially so. So if you don't serve the dal right away, you might find it gets quite thick. It is perfectly fine to thin it out with more water and reheat it. But always check for salt and add more if needed after reheating the dal.

What to serve with the dal

• Plain white or brown rice are perfect. Add a vegetable side or sabzi like my Bombay Potatoes, Aloo Gobi or Baingan Bharta for a wholesome and delicious meal.
• You can also serve this dal with an Indian roti or vegan naan and a sabzi.
• If you're nursing a cold, this dal, as garlicky as it is, makes a perfect, comforting and even healing soup to slurp up by itself.

More dal recipes

• The Best Dal Ever
• Whole Masoor Dal
• Tomato Dal
• Instant Pot Masoor Dal
• Dal Tadka
• Rajasthani Panchmel Dal (Dal with five lentils)