Health is Happiness,
Health is Wealth.

Yellow Mung Dal Soup

Yellow mung is sweet astringent and cooling. Mung has rejuvenation nature and can be included in every day diet.  It is  Vata-Pitta balancing and promotes strength.

Oil or ghee and spices help to reduce gas making property of dal and make it lighter for digestion. Due to use of right kind of spices Kapha people can use it as well.

Ingredients-

  • 1 cup yellow mung dal
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 tablespoon safflower oil or sunflower oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch hing (asafoetida, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger( grated or finely chopped)
  • 1 to 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (or crushed in garlic crusher)
  • 5 curry leaves, fresh (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped- for garnishing

Method of preparation-

Part 1- cooking dal

Wash the mung dal twice. Put the mung dal and 3 cups of the water into a soup pot. Add grated ginger and ¼ tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp oil. Bring it to a boil. Now lower the flame and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the last 3 cups of the water and boil for another 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat it lightly with whisk until smooth. Set aside.( Cook dal softer so it becomes smooth naturally. Do not use blender)

Part 2- Making seasoning( Tadka)

Heat the oil or ghee in a small saucepan until medium hot. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds Stir until the seeds pop. Turn down the heat, add the garlic and sauté lightly to make golden in colour. Then put in the curry leaves, cilantro, turmeric and hing.  Stir well and then add this mixture to the soup.

Add salt. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from gas stove. Add fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Variation-

  1. The same recipe can be used for soaked whole green mung beans.(cooking time will be longer)
  2. Finely chopped onion can be added. Add it in seasoning after the garlic is golden and sauté onion until it is golden brown in colour. Rest of the recipe remains the same.
  3. You can make yellow mung beans soup with vegetables. Add vegetables into mung dal while it is cooking( e.g. spinach, Pak choy, carrot, green beans, etc)