Moong Dal Tadka (or split yellow lentil soup) is an easy and simple comforting Indian lentil recipe made from split yellow moong dal, onion, tomato, and a few Indian spices in an instant pot pressure cooker or stovetop. This Moong dal fry is Vegan, Gluten-free, and Delicious!
Jump to:
- What is Moong Dal (Yellow Lentils)?
- Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Moong Dal Tadka Recipe
- Ingredients for Moong Dal Tadka Recipe
- How to Make Yellow Moong Dal in Instant Pot
- Stovetop Pot Method
- What to Serve with Moong Dal Fry
- Storage Suggestions
- Tips & Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Moong Dal Recipes
- More Pressure Cooker Lentil Recipes
- Instant Pot Moong Daal (Split Yellow Lentils Soup)
What is Moong Dal (Yellow Lentils)?
Moong Dal (aka Split Mung dal), also known as split yellow lentils, is a very popular, nourishing, and easy-to-digest legume frequently cooked in most Indian households, similar to a popular one-dish Toor Dal Tadka. You can follow the same recipe with Red lentils (also known as Masoor Dal).
Moong dal is known for its nutritional value. They are very rich in protein, have high fiber content, help lower cholesterol, and are beneficial in managing blood sugar. Split moong dal is generally recommended for toddlers, children, old and sick people as it is easily digestible. One more such comfort meal prepared from yellow lentils is the delicious Khichdi.
Traditionally dal is first pressure-cooked, and then ghee tempering is poured over the cooked dal mixture and simmered for a few minutes. Today I am sharing an easy one-pot Moong Dal Fry recipe that I have prepared in my electric pressure cooker Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT, which gets ready in under 30 minutes and is perfect for weekday meals. This can be eaten with rice or quinoa or served as a lentil soup.
I have shared both Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and Traditional Stovetop recipes below.
Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Moong Dal Tadka Recipe
- Easy to make and delicious
- One-pot recipe
- Healthy
- Made with simple ingredients from the pantry
- Vegetarian, gluten-free, and can be made vegan.
Ingredients for Moong Dal Tadka Recipe
- Lentils: I have used split Yellow Moong Dal in this recipe. I did not soak the dal before cooking, as yellow lentils cook faster.
- Ghee or oil: I always use homemade ghee for tempering. Skip ghee and use the oil of your choice if you are vegan, or you can use a combination of ghee and oil for this yellow dal tadka recipe.
- Cumin seeds (jeera): They are a must in any Indian dal tempering, so do not skip them.
- Garlic: I have fresh minced garlic for this recipe. You can also use store-bought garlic paste.
- Green chilies: I have used 2 Thai green chilies. However, you can skip reducing the heat.
- Onion: I have used finely chopped onions. You can skip onion for no onion recipe variation.
- Tomato: I have used chopped fresh Roma tomatoes. For a variation, you can skip tomato and use lemon juice for tanginess. You can skip tomatoes in these lentils.
- Spices: I have used turmeric powder, red chili powder, and garam masala. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.
- Water: lentil to water ratio - I have used 3 cups of water for 1 cup of moong dal.
- Coriander leaves: I have used coriander leaves for garnish.
How to Make Yellow Moong Dal in Instant Pot
Firstly, Wash and rinse the yellow dal, and keep it aside.
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle. Add asafetida, minced garlic, onions, and saute till onions turn light brown.
Add tomatoes, spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
Then add rinsed lentils or dal, water, and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage.
Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 6 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
Garnish with coriander leaves. Also, adjust the consistency of the dal at this point. If it's too thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add some water and boil for 2 minutes.
Instant pot pressure cooker Moong Dal Tadka/Fry is ready. Lastly, add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Note on the consistency:
If one wants soft mashed dal, 6 minutes manual/pressure cook (High Pressure) is probably the ideal setting in manual mode.
But I like dals (lentils) to be a little firm, so I selected 4 minutes Manual/Pressure Cooker (high pressure) option.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Pressure cook the moong dal adding 3 cups of water for 3 whistles.
- Heat oil or ghee in a Kadai and add the cumin, and let them splutter.
- Add asafetida, minced garlic, onions, and saute till onions turn light brown.
- Add tomatoes, spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
- Now add the cooked and mashed dal, and stir well. Add water to adjust consistency and salt to taste.
- Boil dal for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low flame. Finally, add chopped coriander leaves.
- Moong Dal Tadka or Yellow lentil soup is ready, add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
What to Serve with Moong Dal Fry
Serve Moong Dal fry recipe with basmati rice, jeera rice, or quinoa with salad and pickles on the side.
You can also pair it with Indian flat bread like roti, or paratha along with some vegetable dishes like
You may also serve this as yellow lentil soup with crusty bread.
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerator: Store the leftover moong dal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: You can store the mung dal tadka in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat: Reheat the dal on the stove or in the microwave. The dal will thicken on standing, so thin it out with some water. Defrost for a few hours if frozen before reheating.
Tips & Variations
- Soaking Lentils: If you soak the dal in water for 30 mins, it helps to cook faster.
- Adjust Consistency: If your dal is watery, you can turn on the saute mode and cook for another 2-3 minutes in the end.
- No Onion-No Garlic: For a variation, you can also make this yellow dal by skipping onion, and garlic.
- Vegan: Skip ghee and use any cooking oil of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This mung dal is loaded with dietary fiber, and minerals and is a great source of plant-based protein for vegans and vegetarians. Hence it is healthy.
To make it vegan, substitute ghee with any vegetable cooking oil.
Skip hing (asafoetida) or use gluten-free asafoetida to make a gluten-free dal version.
No, It is not necessary to soak the mung dal for this recipe. However, if you have time on your hands, soak the lentils for a minimum of 30 minutes, as they help to cook faster and make it easier to digest.
More Moong Dal Recipes
- Ridge Gourd Moong Dal
- Spinach Moong Dal Dosa
- Moringa Leaves Dal
- Moong Dal Payasam
- Hesarubele Kosambari
- Ven Pongal
- Sweet Pongal
More Pressure Cooker Lentil Recipes
- Masoor Dal - Dal made with red lentils.
- Whole green moong dal – Dal cooked with whole mung beans
- Chana Dal Fry - Dal prepared with split chickpeas lentils, assorted spices
- Green Lentil Soup – lentil soup made with green lentils, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and Indian spices
- Spinach Dal / Palak Dal – Dhal cooked with spinach leaves
- Panchmel dal – Dal prepared with five varieties of lentils
- Raw Mango Dal – Dal cooked with Raw Mango
- Butternut Squash Dal - Dal cooked with butternut squash or pumpkin.
If you’ve tried this healthy moong dal tadka recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!
Instant Pot Moong Daal (Split Yellow Lentils Soup)
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)
- a pinch asafetida (hing) (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 cup split yellow lentils (moong dal) rinsed
- 3 cups water
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves) chopped
Extra Tempering:
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- few curry leaves (optional)
- a pinch asafetida(hing)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Firstly, Wash and rinse the yellow dal, keep aside.Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
- Add asafetida, minced garlic, onions, and saute till onions turn light brown.
- Add tomatoes, spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
- Then add rinsed lentils or dal, water, and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes.Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid away from you, add cilantro. Also, adjust the consistency of the dal at this point. If it's too thick, turn on SAUTE mode, add some water and boil for 2 minutes.
- Moong Dal Tadka is ready. Lastly, add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Stovetop Method:
- Pressure cook the moong dal adding 3 cups of water for 3 whistles.
- Heat oil or ghee in a Kadai and add the cumin and let them splutter.
- Add asafetida, minced garlic, onions, and saute till onions turn light brown in color.
- Add tomatoes, spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
- Now add the cooked and mashed dal, stir well. Add water to adjust consistency and salt to taste.
- Boil dal for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low flame. Finally, add chopped coriander leaves.
- Moong Dal Tadka or Yellow lentil soup is ready, add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa, or roti.
Video
Notes
Tips & Variations:
- Soaking Lentils: If you soak the dal in water for 30 mins, it helps to cook faster.
- Adjust Consistency: If your dal is watery, you can turn on the saute mode and cook for another 2-3 minutes in the end.
- No Onion-No Garlic: For a variation, you can also make this yellow dal by skipping onion, and garlic.
- Vegan: Skip ghee and use any cooking oil of your choice.
herman parisius says
you do not mention how much lentils?
bhavana says
Sorry about that,just updated .its 1 cup of split yellow lentils (moong dal)
Bob P says
Great recipe. Four minutes in the instant pot gave a great texture. I halved the oil, and due to what I had on hand, used a mix of smoked paprika and cayenne for the red chili powder, and some canned tomatoes instead of fresh. Separately I steamed/blanched two bunches of kale and stirred it in; no need to serve with rice. Absolutely delicious and I'll make it again.
Bhavana Patil says
Thank you so much Bob 🙂 It makes me very happy when someone not only tries out my recipes, but also shares how they customized the recipe to meet their needs 🙂 Have a great day 🙂
Krista Hoffman says
If you wanted a stronger flavor how might you adjust the recipe
Bhavana Patil says
You can add more spices like garam masala, ground cumin and coriander. Also if you are making it like a soup, replace water with vegetable stock. Hope this helps.
Krista says
Made this over and over. Just love it
Bhavana Patil says
Thats so good to hear Krista...