Moong Dal without Pressure Cooker
This simple and creamy moong dal recipe comes together on the stove in minutes --no pressure cooker or instant pot needed. It's a great dal recipe full of delicious flavor.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup split moong dal 100g
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (Optional)
- 2 teaspoons ghee or butter plus more as topping
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- 1-3 teaspoons lemon juice to squeeze on top
- cilantro for garnish (Optional)
- cooked basmati rice or roti for serving (Optional)
Instructions
- Wash the dal: ½ cup split moong dal to a pot that has a lid and bring over to your sink. Fill the pot halfway with water and swish and lightly scrub the dal with your fingers to release the excess starch in the dal. Drain the cloudy water and repeat this process until the water is fairly clear and drain once more.
- To the pot of dal, add 1 ½ cups water, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida (hing) and half of the 2 teaspoons ghee or butter. Place it on the stovetop on medium high and allow for it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cover the pot with its lid, reduce the heat to medium, and allow the dal to actively simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot during this time. You may need to lower the temperature if the water starts foaming or add more water if the too much water has evaporated.
- Once the time is up, remove the lid from the dal. The dal should be cooked through and should be mushy to the touch. Use a whisk and mix to see if the dal easy whisks together with the water to form a creamy consistency. If not and the water and dal remain separate, cook the dal for a bit longer.
- Once dal is cooked, add ¼ teaspoon sea salt and the remaining half of the 2 teaspoons ghee or butter. Use either a whisk, or a wooden spoon to mix up the dal until it becomes a creamy homogenized dish. Taste your dal and add more salt as needed. Squeeze some 1-3 teaspoons lemon juice to squeeze on top, add a dollop of ghee, and garnish with cilantro! Enjoy with basmati rice or roti.
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Notes and Tips
- Helpful readings:
- Read this blog post for in depth details on moong dal and its substitutes.
- Read this blog post which is an in depth blog post on how to: cook any dal. It will give you even more tips and tricks for mastering this fundamental dish.
- If the water starts to run low when you are cooking the dal, you can add ¼ cup of water to the pot at a time to the pot. If there is too much water at the end of your cooking process, first try whisking your dal. This helps thicken and emulsify the water and fats in the dal to create a creamy texture. However, if the dal is still too watery, allow the dal to simmer with the lid uncovered
- This is a very basic and simple dal recipe that is a good starting point. If you want to add a layer of depth to your dal you can add a finishing oil or tadka to it. To do this, simply heat oil or ghee in a sauce pan, add aromatics of your choice like cumin seeds, curry leaves, or even garlic to the oil to heat and infuse the oil. Pour oil/ghee over the dal to add layers of flavor.
- You may also like this recipe for spinach dal or chow chow kootu
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 13gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 315mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
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