Split Yellow Mung Beans (Dry)/ Sookhi Moong ki Daal

My mom cooked a handful of vegetarian dishes when we growing up because Papa (Allah yerhamo) wasn’t a huge fan. This Sookhi Moong ki Daal (a dry mung bean curry) was on the dinner rotation on the reg because it was one of the few veggie dishes that he loved!

Lots of lentil recipes are soupy in texture and meant to be eaten with rice. This recipe is more of a dry curry, and it’s meant to be eaten with roti (thin unleavened flatbread) or paratha (thin layered unleavened flatbread). The recipe is incredibly easy, and comes together relatively quickly (I saw “relatively” because the hands-on time is short, we’re just waiting for the lentils to cook through). Finish it off with a sprinkling of cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime, and you’ll be fighting over the last bite!

5 from 1 vote

Print

Split Yellow Mung Beans (Dry)/ Sookhi Moong ki Daal

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Keyword Healthy, Indian, Lentils, Main Course, Pakistani, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1½ cups split yellow mung beans (moong daal), washed and soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes, drained
• ½ cup neutral flavored oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• Lime, for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large vessel over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, coriander powder, cumin seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Sauté until the tomatoes have softened and the oil starts to separate from the spices, about 10 minutes. Add splashes of water as necessary to prevent the mixture from burning.
2. Add the drained mung beans and ½-cup water. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until desired consistency and the beans/lentils are cooked through (but still retain their shape), adding additional water as deemed necessary. Remove from heat and garnish with freshly squeezed lime and cilantro.