Swaadista

If you’re on the hunt for a tasty and healthy lentil curry to go with your rotis or plain rice, give this Green Gram Curry a shot. Green gram, or mung bean, is a super nutritious whole lentil that’s super versatile and shows up in all kinds of dishes like curries, stews, salads, soups, and even sweets.

One of the best things about green gram is how easy it is to cook compared to other lentils. Most of them need to be soaked for at least 8 hours or even overnight, but green gram only needs about 3 to 4 hours. You can cook them straight up without soaking, but soaking helps cut down the cooking time and can help avoid some of that gas and bloating that comes with eating whole lentils.

This green gram curry, or green mung dal, is a simple dish that goes great with chapatis or plain rice, making it a go-to for a comforting meal. In this recipe, I have used a pressure cooker to cook the lentils. If you prefer, you can also use an Instant Pot to speed things up or a regular pot, though that will take a bit longer to cook.

Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
200g Green gram or green mung beans, soaked for 4 hours, and drained
500ml of water
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon MDH kitchen king masala/Garam masala(any brand)

For tadka/seasoning:
2 teaspoons of cooking oil/ghee
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dried red chilies, split into halves
A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida 
One sprig of curry leaves

Method:

1. Heat cooking oil in a pressure cooker on low-medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds, ginger, and garlic, and sauté until aromatic.
3. Add chopped onions, and sauté until onions are translucent
4. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until they are soft.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and sauté for 30 seconds.
6. Transfer soaked and drained green mung beans and pour water. Cover the lid, and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until mung is well cooked and soft.
7. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
8. Add water if needed to adjust consistency and cook on low heat. Meanwhile, taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
9. add kitchen king masala or Garam masala and cook for a minute on low heat.
10. Meanwhile, for the tadka – heat oil in a separate pan on medium heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add dried red chilies, Hing and curry leaves.
11. Turn the heat off and pour the tadka into the green gram curry and give it a gentle mix.
12. Enjoy delicious green gram curry or green mung dal with rotis/chapati or plain steamed rice.

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