Moong dal

Moong dal is the split, dehulled seeds of the mung bean (Vigna radiata) in the legume family Fabaceae. It is primarily sold and cooked as a dried split dal.

The mung bean is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been cultivated since the ancient Indus Valley civilization. You’ll also find whole dried beans as sabut moong. Regional names include Tamil: Paasi Paruppu, Telugu: Pesara Pappu, Kannada: Hesaru Bele, Bengali: Mug Dal, and Marathi: Mugachi Dal.

Moong dal tastes delicate and mildly nutty, and turns richer when roasted. Dry-roasting before boiling gives a fragrant, toasty aroma and helps the grains keep a light structure instead of turning mushy.

For everyday मूंग दाल, add it at the start of cooking and simmer or pressure-cook with water, turmeric and salt until tender. Dry-roast first if you want that toasty smell and a little bite. Pair it with rice for a homely khichdi.

Soak and grind moong dal into a batter for pan-fried pancakes like moong dal cheela and Andhra-style pesarattu, or for deep-fried savories.

For sweets, sauté a slow-cooked paste of moong dal in ghee, sweeten it, and flavor with cardamom to make moong dal halwa.

The mung bean is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been cultivated since the ancient Indus Valley civilization. In India, major producing states for moong include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Raw mature mung beans provide approximately 24 grams of protein and over 16 grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams, with minimal fat.