Simple Mung Bean Curry
Quick and easy simple mung bean curry, simply made with mung beans and basic spices, can be made either in Instant Pot or Indian style pressure cooker!
Mung beans are one of the simplest and healthiest beans. They are very light on your belly. And best part is that they are super easy and quick to make. Different regions of India make it different style of mung beans. Even in Gujarat, you will find different ways of making this dish. This version is a combination of my mother and MIL’s style.
It is good to soak your beans ahead of time. However I end up making this mung curry without soaking them. And the reason is, they cook very quickly with no fuss. This curry is super simple with very simple ingredients. This pantry friendly recipe comes together within 30 minutes! It simply has very basic spices like ginger, garlic, green chilis and some dry spices!
Serve them with phulka rotli, bhakhri, parathas or even gluten-free Rice flour rotis . Make it little more runny if you wish to serve them with plain rice. Side of crunchy salad (kachumber) and papad is a must with this goodie! It is a Gujarati household tradition to eat mung beans on Wednesday, honestly I do not know why, LOL. I make it because these are one of my fav beans to eat!
This gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based goodie is one of those simple dishes I swear by and strongly urge you to make it! Tag me on Instagram @myvegetarianroots if you end up making them and liking them!
Happy & Healthy Eating!
Simple Mung Bean Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mung Beans
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Oil
- ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1½ tsp Cumin Coriander Powder
- ¼ tsp Garam Masala ½ tsp for more spice level
- 2 tsp Jaggery more/less/none based on your preference, the amount I mention will not make this curry any sweet, it will complement other spices so well!!
Tempering
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tsp Thai Green Chilis 2-3 thai green chilis or 1 serrano
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Garnishing
- ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Wash 1 cup of mung beans and place it in a pressure cooker or IP with 2 cups of water, ½ tsp of salt and 1 tsp oil
- If using Indian style pressure cooker, do 5-6 whistles (3-4 whistles if you soak the beans for few hours). Let the pressure release naturally all the way.
- If using Instant Pot, close the lid, secure the valve and put it on high pressure for 20 minutes (15 MIN cook time if you soak the beans for few hours). Once the times goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 15 min and rest manually.
- Once you open the pressure cooker, you will see mung beans have used up pretty much all the water during boiling process. Add 1-2 cups of water (more or less) to boiled mung beans to give them stew like consistency. Add little water at a time and stir to check the consistency, keep adding more if needed. Keep them aside and prepare for tempering/tadka/vaghar.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan. Saute minced garlic, grated ginger and chopped thai green chilis on low/medium heat until raw smell of garlic goes away (1-3 min). Do not brown/burn the garlic.
- Add ½ tsp of turmeric powder in the garlic mixture, mix it and cook for few more seconds.
- Add the tempering to boiled mung beans.
- Add 1 tsp salt along with other dry spices (red chili powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala). Mix well. Use back of the spoon to mush some beans, this will help thicken the curry.
- Bring mung bean curry to boil while keeping IP on saute mode, or keeping Indian style pressure cooker on medium heat. It should be stew like consistency, so add more water if needed. Keep simmering for 3-5 minutes, or until the curry gets to desired thickness.
- Add jaggery, mix well and simmer for couple more minutes.
- Turn the heat off, add lemon juice and freshly chopped cilantro.
- Mix well and serve it with roti, chapati, rotla, paratha, rice, quinoa etc, with side of crunchy salad (kachumber), pickle and papad!
