
Daal
Moong Daal (Whole)
Whole green gram lentils cooked with curry sauce, spices and a fragrant mustard-cumin tarka.
From Yasmin’s Kitchen
Whole moong daal is light, versatile and traditionally served in soups, stews and curries. It only needs a relatively short soak before cooking.
A pressure cooker saves time, while saucepan cooking will take longer depending on the soaking time.
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 200g whole moong daal
- 200ml curry sauce
- 1/2-1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 heaped tsp cumin powder
- 1 heaped tsp coriander powder
- 1 level tsp turmeric powder
- 1 level tsp cumin seeds
- 1 level tsp mustard seeds
- 1-2 curry leaves
- 1100ml water
- 1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
- Butter for garnish (optional)
Step by step
Method
- Wash and soak the daal for about 30 minutes.
- Add the curry sauce to a pressure cooker and mix in the ground spices.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the curry sauce.
- Add the water, stir, close the lid and cook under pressure for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Allow the pressure to drop fully before opening.
- Check that the daal is soft. Simmer uncovered if too runny, or add a little water if too thick.
- In a separate saucepan heat the oil, add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook until they splutter. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the tarka over the daal and garnish with garam masala and butter if desired.
- Serve with rice, naan or chapatti.
Helpful notes
Tips
- For a dairy-free version, omit the optional butter garnish.