This is the comprehensive guide to moong dal in Indian cooking. Learn how to source the ingredient as well as different recipes that utilize this ingredient.
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What is it?
Moong dal is a type of dal or lentil that is used in Indian cooking. Moong dal is also known as green gram or mung bean in English and pasi paruppu in Tamil. This is a thin type of lentil that cooks really easily and is used in the dish dal and its variations like spinach dal, as well as sambar. This blog post goes in-depth about moong dal, the lentil. However, if you want a how-to on making dal, the dish, check out this blog post which covers various ways of cooking dal (pressure cooker vs. stovetop) and common mistakes and solutions so that you can make your perfect dal.
Different variations of moong dal
In general, most dals including moong dal come in variations such as whole vs. split and hulled vs. not hulled (meaning skin removed or on). For moong dal in particular, the main varieties are green whole moong dal , split moong dal (with skin on), and split moong dal (without skin) (this is most popular when making dal). Below, we will go over the different varieties in detail and explain how each one has a different purpose in Indian cooking.
Whole green moong dal
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Whole moong dal is also known as green gram or whole mung bean and it is the whole form version of the dal that still has the green skin on (it isn't hulled).
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Whole moong dal is often used in dals or curries where the lentil adds texture to the dish. Since it is thick and round, it will retain its shape after cooking. It can also be cooked and added to lentil salads for texture.
- Whole moong dal is also commonly sprouted in Indian cooking by soaking and allowing the dal to form sprouts. The sprouts are then used in salads, subzis, and curries.
- Does it need to be soaked? Yes - just like beans, green whole moong dal cooks more evenly when it is soaked before cooked.
Substitutes:
Whole masoor dal, Whole urad dal (black skin on), Black eyed peas
Split moong dal (with/without skin)
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Buy Now → Definition:
Split moong dal is moong dal that has been processed and cut into flat disks. Split urad dal can be further categorized into dal with the skin on (green) OR it can be split after the skin is removed (yellow)!
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Split moong dal is used to make creamy dals. Since the dal is split, the dal tends to lose it shape when cooked and melts into a creamy texture.
- The split moong dal with the skin will have more texture as well as more nutrients compared to the one without the skin! However, the one without the skin will yield a more creamy and velvety texture. The moong dal with the skin will also add a green tinge to dals whereas the one with the skin off has a yellow color.
- Does it need to be soaked? Nope. It is not required; however, soaking never hurts when cooking dal. It helps cook the dish more evenly.
Substitutes:
The best substitute for this dal is split masoor dal (red lentil) because it has a similar thickness, cook time, and taste.
Moong dal flour
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Moong dal flour is flour that is made from moong dal with the skin removed.
How it is used in Indian cooking:
- Moong dal flour is commonly used to make applam, also known as papadum, which is a crunchy dal-based snack.
Substitutes:
Urad dal flour
Where to buy it?
Moong dal is one of the most popular varieties of dal and is more readily available in the United States compared to other varieties. It is typically sold in Indian supermarkets and Asian supermarkets and often can be found in American supermarkets. In addition, it is pretty easy to find moong dal online on Amazon.
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Buy Now → Recipes that use moong dal
Here are some recipes that use moong dal. If you are looking for an in-depth how-to for making dal, check this post out that goes over the steps of cooking any dal and techniques (pressure cooker vs. stove top, etc.).
Moong dal vs. other Indian dals
This article dives into moong dal and its use cases in particular. However urad dal, toor dal, chana dal, and masoor dal are other varieties that are very common in Indian cooking, each with their own uses cases. Moong dal is most like masoor dal in its properties. Learn more about how this dal compares to the other varieties in the ultimate guide to Indian dals which also goes over their nutritional comparisons.
This is a high level overview on moong dal! Please leave a comment below letting me know what you thought of this article and if it was helpful to you! I always love hearing your questions and your comments 🙂
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