Whole Mung beans feature a lot in our kitchen as we love the earthy taste. They are comforting and nourishing and we will cook up a large pot of Mung Soup or Dal in times of stress or tiredness.

This recipe is a North Indian style Green Mung Dal (Hara Mung Dal Tadka with Methi) that is great with chapatti or roti, and rice. Boondhi Raita, Kachumber, or vegetable dish can be added. The dal is cooked and then mixed with a paste of tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and spices. It is particularly good.

Similar recipes include Khar (Garlicky Mung Beans), Mung Bean Soup with Amaranth Greens, and Sprouted Mung Sundal.

Browse all of our Mung recipes, and all of our Dals. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Late Summer recipes.

Hara Mung Dal Tadka with Methi | Green Mung Bean Dal with Fenugreek Leaves

ingredients

1 cup whole mung beans (unhulled)

1 Indian bay leaf (teja pata)

2 Tblspn ghee

1 tspn cumin seeds

1 large white onion

2 – 4 green chillies, or to taste

2 tspn ginger-garlic paste (grind ginger and garlic together)

2 -3 tomatoes

1 tspn Indian red chilli powder, or to taste

1 tspn coriander powder

0.5 tspn turmeric

1 tspn garam masala

1 – 2 tspn dry fenugreek (methi) leaves, or 1 – 2 Tblspn fresh or frozen methi leaves

salt to taste

coriander leaves or thin onion rings to garnish (optional)

method

Wash the mung beans and soak for 30 – 60 mins or overnight if more convenient. Drain and add to a saucepan with sufficient water, the bay leaf and half of the turmeric, and cook until the mung beans are very soft and can be mashed between the fingers.

Pulse grind the onion and chillies in a food processor (or chop by hand) until coarsely chopped.

Grind the tomatoes to a paste.

In a kadhai, heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds. As they darken, add the chopped onion mix and saute for about 1 minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste, mix well, and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and the remainder of the turmeric powder and mix very well. Add the pureed tomatoes and salt to taste, and continue to simmer over a medium heat until the mixture is well cooked and the oil separates.

Add the cooked dal and additional water if necessary. Bring to a simmer. Stir through the fenugreek leaves and then add the garam masala. Mix well. Simmer of 3 mins, remove from the heat, cover and allow to stand for 5 mins for the flavours to develop.

Garnish as desired and serve.

recipe notes and additions

A little ghee can be added to the top of the dal.

The dal can be finished with a tadka of 0.5 tspn cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, and 2 Indian dried red chillies. Or in the tadka replace the chillies with 0.25 tspn Indian chilli powder.