Growing up we had a ton of green moong dal. It is probably my mother’s favourite dal. She always insisted that we have lentils. On winter evenings a warm bowl of this dal tadka with hot puffy rotis and a side of green salad was our idea of comfort food. Ghee drizzled rotis dipped in this garlicky lentil dish tasted heavenly. My husband and I are both big shoppers for lentils and whole grains. I love how lentils can be converted into a wonderful bowl of goodness in no time. You can create so many things with them. The possibilities are endless.
What is Green Moong Dal?
It has two varieties, one is Sabut moong ki dal and the other one is chilke wali dal. The recipe I am sharing is for chilke wali dal/split green moong lentil.
What is the difference between chilke wali moong dal and whole moong dal?
Whole moong dal needs soaking for at least 8 hours before cooking. Yes it can be done in an Instant Pot but a little bit of extra time is still needed. Call me old fashioned but sometimes I feel that the right taste is achieved only after soaking it the right way. Split green moong dal/chilke wali dal is easy to prepare and doesn’t need any prior planning. Its quick, super easy, and quite nutritious to have as a meal. Making it in the Instant pot is a breeze.
How to cook this dal in Instant Pot ?
First step is to wash and soak the lentil for 30 minutes. If for some reason you don’t find time to soak the lentil, then you can still cook it. I would still advise to soak it for 15 minutes if possible.Turn on the saute button of Instant Pot. When it displays hot add oil to it. Add cumin seeds and one red chilli to it. Saute it for 30 seconds. Add garlic to it. Saute it till it looks light brown and has released a lovely fragrance in the oil .Add chopped onion to it. Saute till it looks transparent. Add grated ginger, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder to it. Saute it for 30 seconds. Add salt and tomato to it. If you think it is sticking to the bottom add one tbsp of water to it. Saute till the spice and tomato mix looks cooked. Add green lentils to it. Mix it properly. Add water and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Let it release the steam naturally .Remove the lid and stir it to mix once.Garnish it with fresh green cilantro and sprinkle some lemon juice. Serve it with any type of grain or bread.
What Can we Serve with this Dal?
This delicious dal goes well with any type of grain such as rice, quinoa, couscous and millets. This would be great as a comforting bowl of soup as well.
You May Want To Check These Lentil Recipes as Well:
Instant Pot Moong Dal with Bottle Gourd/Zucchini Whole Masoor Dal/Brown Lentil Dal Tadka Dal Palak/Lentil Soup with spinach Instant Pot Dal Bukhara Dal Makhani
