Moong Daal (Split Yellow Lentils with Garlic Tarka)
A soft, gently spiced pot of split yellow moong lentils finished with a sizzling garlic and cumin tarka. Light, quick and easy to digest-friendly cooking for everyday lunches with rice or roti.
Ingredients
Equipment: Medium heavy-bottomed pot with lid, small frying pan or tarka pan, whisk or wooden spoon
Method
Wash the moong daal in several changes of water, rubbing gently, until the water is mostly clear. Soak it in cool water for 15 minutes while you chop, then drain.
Put the drained daal in a pot with the water, turmeric, ginger, tomato and slit green chillies. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim off any white foam.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes so nothing sticks. The daal is ready when the grains are completely soft and break easily when pressed with a spoon.
Add the salt and whisk the daal for a minute to make it creamy. If it is too thick, stir in hot water a quarter cup at a time until it flows like a thick soup. Keep it on the lowest heat.
Heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds, then add the onion and fry until light golden, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and dried red chillies and fry for 1 minute until the garlic is golden, not dark brown. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chilli powder so it does not burn.
Pour the hot tarka over the daal straight away. It should sizzle loudly. Stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and half the coriander, then cover for 2 minutes to let the flavours settle.
Taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot, topped with the remaining coriander.
Cooking tips
- Do not skip the washing and short soak. It helps the daal cook evenly and keeps the flavour clean.
- Watch the garlic closely in the tarka. It turns from golden to bitter in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat slightly early.
- Daal thickens as it stands. Keep some hot water ready to loosen it before serving.
- For a smoother texture, whisk the cooked daal vigorously or give it two or three pulses with a hand blender.
Substitutions
- Use oil instead of ghee for a vegan version.
- Replace fresh ginger with 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste.
- Use lime instead of lemon juice.
- Swap moong with masoor daal (red lentils) if needed; reduce the simmering time to about 15 minutes.
Serve with
"Serve with plain steamed rice or zeera rice, or with hot roti or paratha. Sliced onion with lemon, green chutney and a simple cucumber raita go well on the side."
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat in a pot over low heat with a splash of water, stirring often, until steaming hot throughout. Add a small fresh tarka of garlic in ghee if you like.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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