Moong dal

mung lentil

The gentle lentil — light enough for the ill and the feast alike.

What it is

Moong dal is the split, skinned mung bean — pale yellow, light and among the most easily digested of pulses. It ranges from a plain, soothing everyday dal to a roasted, richer version, and even into sweets. Whole and green it is a different, skin-on ingredient.

Where it comes from

Used across the whole subcontinent, moong is the lentil reached for when lightness matters — for the young, the unwell, the everyday. Roasted before cooking, it takes on a nuttier depth; in Bengal it turns up in sweet dishes too.

What it's called

Moong dal · mung / split yellow moong (Hindi). Whole green is sabut moong / mung bean.

In the kitchen

Simmered plain and tempered for a light daily dal, or dry-roasted first for a nuttier bhaja moong; also cooked into khichuri with rice, and into sweets. Gentle and quick. The roasting step, common in Bengal, changes its character entirely.

What we know about the claims

A light, digestible plant protein — one of the most easily tolerated pulses, wholesome and gentle. No caution.

Choosing and buying

Everywhere; split yellow moong cooks quickly. Whole green mung is a separate ingredient (and the source of bean sprouts).