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One-Pot Green Moong Dal Pulao

One-Pot Green Moong Dal Pulao

Here is the recipe of one of our go-to meal idea – Green Moong Dal Pulao – because it is a quick, easy, protein-rich, healthy, and tasty recipe. It is perfect for the days when you are busy or don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen. It is light and filling and makes a nice dinner recipe too.

You must check out our collection of delicious rice recipes.

Story Time

I order whole green moong dal every time I do my grocery shopping. I must have this lentil in my kitchen. I always think that I will make sprouted moong dal salad for a quick and healthy snack but then I don’t make it ever 🙂 We don’t snack as such. It becomes difficult to finish this dal.

One day, I was making chana dal pulao (which by the way tastes amazing and you must try it) and I thought what if I substitute chana dal with green moong dal. It seemed like a nice idea and that way I can finish moong dal too. I tried this recipe for Jatin’s lunch box and he loved it. It is a simple pulao recipe but it tastes delicious. And it makes a quick and easy lunch box recipe too. Since then, this recipe has become one of our go-to meal recipes. I make it for lunch or sometimes for a quick dinner too.

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Easy Swaps

  1. Green Moong Dal: Use kala chana (black chickpea), chickpeas, or chana dal instead. We have recipes for all three. Check them out on the website.
  2. Rice: Substitute brown rice with white rice, wild rice, or dalia (broken wheat).

Is this recipe Vegan?

Yes. This pulao recipe is totally plant-based and vegan.

More vegan recipes on the website: Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins, Vegan Dum Biryani, Kung Pao Tofu.

Can we make this Pulao in the pressure cooker?

Yes. Of course. You can make it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot too. I prefer to make pulao in a pan because that way my pulao doesn’t get sticky and mushy.

To make it in the pressure cooker, you will need lesser water to cook (around 1.5 Cups). Cook for one whistle only and it will be done. Let it depressurize itself. To cook in Instant Pot, pressure cook for 10 minutes. Cooking in Instant Pot needs less water. I don’t prefer to cook rice or pulao in Instant Pot because they get quite mushy which we don’t enjoy much.

More Rice Recipes

  1. Spinach Khichdi
  2. Punjabi Wadi Pulao
  3. Lemon Rice

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this Indian vegetarian/vegan meal at home which is quick, easy and protein-rich. It is perfect for lunch or dinner. If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Love from us

Richa & Jatin

One-Pot Green Moong Dal Pulao

Protein-Rich. Wholesome. Vegan.

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What to cook for dinner? It is a problem for everyone. 

You must try out this quick & easy rice recipe that doesn't need much chopping and gets ready in no time. Isn't that what you were looking for?

2

Servings

5 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time


Ingredients

Steps

Soaking
  1. Soak rice for around 30 minutes. Wash with water 2 to 3 times after soaking.
  2. Soak green moong dal for around 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Wash with water 1 to 2 times after soaking. 
Cooking
  1. In a deep pan, heat some cooking oil.
  2. Add whole spices - bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, star anise, cinnamon, green cardamom, and black cardamom. Saute for a few seconds until aromatic. 
  3. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
  4. Then add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Keep the flame on medium-high. 
  5. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. 
  6. Once the tomatoes are done, add potatoes, rice, green moong dal, green peas, salt to taste, and green chilies. Mix well. 
  7. Add water and let it come to a boil on high flame. Keep the lid open.
  8. Once the water starts to boil, lower the flame and cover the lid. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is perfectly cooked. It will take around 15 minutes. 
  9. After 10-15 minutes, open the lid and check if the water is all absorbed. For that, dig at the center using a fork. If the water is absorbed, switch off the flame and let it cover for 5 minutes. 
  10. Garnish with coriander leaves and fluff the rice using the fork. Serve hot with some chutney, pickles, or curd. 

FAQs

what are the different types of moong dal?
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There is a variety of moong dal available:

  1. Green Moong Dal – split
  2. Green Moong Dal – whole
  3. Yellow Moong Dal – split
  4. Yellow Moong Dal – Polished/unpolished
  5. Green Moong Dal – Polished/unpolished

Do we need to soak moong dal?
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Moong dal – green and yellow – gets cooked very quickly in the pressure cooker. You don’t need to soak them before cooking. But soaking not just helps in faster cooking but also helps in better absorption of certain nutrients. That’s why it is better to soak them for at least 30 minutes.


Can we eat moong dal for dinner?
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Moong dal is very light and easily digestible. You can eat it over lunch or dinner too. Pair it either with some chapati, rice, millets, or dalia (broken wheat).


How to sprout green moong dal?
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  1. Soak in water for around 3-4 hours or overnight.
  2. Take a damp cloth and put the soaked lentils in it. Cover it tightly inside the cloth.
  3. Put it inside the air-tight container and keep it in a warm place.
  4. Moong dal will be sprouted in a day.

To sprout even further, repeat the same method for a couple of more days.

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