moong dal recipe with tomato and mint | sookhi moong dal | tamatar pudina moong dal
A delicious moong dal recipe with tomato and mint, easy to make on the stovetop, ready in 10 minutes, a light and flavourful accompaniment to rotis. Also goes well in a lunchbox.
Moong dal or split, husked green gram is not exactly my favourite kind of dal because of the sticky and slimy texture it acquires on cooking. However, it is most favoured by Ayurveda , as it is said to be lighter and easier to digest, compared to the more popular tur dal. Khichdi prepared from moong dal and rice is said to be one of the most restorative dishes during an illness.
When pressure cooked, moong dal tends to get somewhat slimy, which is why I wasn’t too kicked about it in my early cooking days. Besides it doesn’t have the kind of rich flavour that is inherent to tur dal.
In my attempt to make moong dal more palatable, I figured that adding ingredients with a lot of flavour such as mint, ginger or garlic works very well. Cooking moong dal by the boiling method as against the pressure cooking method keeps the texture alive and makes it a much better dish. Moong dal is perfect for stove top cooking, taking hardly 10 minutes to cook, when soaked for half an hour or so.
This sookhi moong dal recipe with tomato and mint has fresh tomatoes from my garden as well as mint in two ways – fresh as well as dried (for a bit of mystery in the background). For those who are not fond of the sticky texture of moong dal, this sookhi moong dal is a game changer. Serve this dal with rotis.
The light moong dal with a fresh flavour from mint and tomatoes makes it a very good summer meal with some phulka rotis and chaas (spiced buttermilk).
More mint recipes for you
- Mint and Cucumber Raita
- Avocado Quinoa Salad with Mint Dressing
- Spinach Mint Flatbread
- Mint Rasam (Mint Lentil Soup)
- Mint and Coriander Chutney
Tomato and mint flavoured moong dal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup moong dal split skinned yellow mung
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp ginger finely chopped or grated
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 1 - 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 6-8 springs fresh mint
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried mint powder
Instructions
- To prepare this moong dal recipe with tomato and mint, heat oil in a medium sized saute pan. Fry cumin seeds until they crackle. Add ginger, asafoetida, chillies and saute for 30 seconds.
- Roughly chop the mint leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes and mint leaves and fry on high flame for 3-4 minutes or so. Mix in the turmeric powder, water and salt.
- Once water comes to a boil, drain the soaking moong dal and add it to the pan. Cover and cook for around 8-10 minutes, checking in between to add a little water if dal is drying out.
- Look for a stage when the dal is cooked, yet keeps its shape well and water is dried out. On a medium flame, this would take around 10 minutes. Sprinkle mint powder towards the end, give it a stir and remove into a bowl. Serve with rotis.
Notes
Originally published on Feb 20, 2010. Updated with new photos and text.
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Like you, I much prefer toor dal to moong dal but your recipe sounds very tasty!
Healthy and delicious! Yum!
I am so happy I signed up for your blog feed. You have the most interesting recipes – and I am not even vegetarian. I am going to buy some plantain today and try the podinas.I have been reccommending your blog to everyone I know.Keep blogging!!!!
Nupur – I like this dal better in a dry form, non-slimy :)Thanks Meeso.Thank you for your kind words GG
A very new side dish for roti..nice click..
Looks very yummy!! This was a staple for summer lunches in Delhi – very light and easy to digest!
Hi NanditaThanks for sharing the recipe…I am def. going to try it out bcos i am a fan of it…..The click is great……..
Daisy Blue and Annarasa – welcome! I’m sure it’s good for summers when we crave for something easy and light!Rujuta – do let me know how you like it.
I am not too fond of moong dhal but the pic wants me to say otherwise 🙂
True Rachel, it is the same for me, but I liked this one, which is why it made to the blog 🙂
I love moong dal… even cooked to a mush in the pressure cooker. This reminds me of the payatham paruppu kuzhambu that I need to make :)Shall try this for rotis soon… can I pressure cook? 1 whistle maybe?
If you don’t mind mushy then one whistle should be okay – but you can try my method, just leave it on the gas while you are doing something else in the kitchen na – with that occasional stir?? Not difficult for you 🙂
I have only ever seen dry urad dal…this one is so different! FIL used to make “moong dal soup” – pressure cook moong dal with tomatoes, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and garlic and lots of water and haldi. Roughly mash and temper with cumin and asofoetida for the most soothing non sticky dal ever!
umm i think i am not that picky when it comes to dal. i pretty much love it all in any way! this looks simple and so full of flavor.
yum! I love getting new moong dal recipes:)
I love all kinds of Dal but this dry kind I have never had. Great idea
I tried this recipe minus the mint. Loved it. Posted here – http://dabbusrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/02/simple-dinners-take-2-tomato-moong-dal.html
Yes Miri – that one is great for a winter night – I used to add lauki and such other veggies to the dal to make a soup..your FIL’s recipe sounds perfect!Meetak – I’m not too picky, just favour some over others :)Thanks Chitra, hope you like it.Bongmom – try karo, you could possible even dry roast the dal before proceeding like how the bongs do one with udad dal if I’m not mistakenSmita, nice of you to try it out – will check out link and update my post