Recipe- Vegan And Gluten Free Whole Moong Dal Curry

Mooga Gashi or Whole Green Moong Dal Curry is a healthy and nutritious, protein-packed recipe prepared using mung bean (whole green moong dal), potatoes, grated coconut, and aromatic spices. This green lentil curry is vegan and gluten-free. Mooga Gashi is a traditional Konkani recipe from Mangalore, Udupi, Karkala region of Karnataka, prepared mainly at temples for lunch and dinner during special occasions.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups Whole green gram or Mung bean or Sabut Moong dal
1 Large potato, cubed
6 to 8 Curry leaves
Salt to taste

For the coconut paste

1 cup Grated coconut (fresh or frozen or dry)
2 to 3 Dry red chilies
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 tablespoon Cashews, chopped

For the tempering

1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 Dry red chilie
6 to 8 Curry leaves

Method

PRESSURE COOK THE GREEN GRAM OR MOONG DAL

- In a bowl, add whole moong dal, wash, and soak it in water for 6 hours or overnight.

- Next morning, drain the water, add the soaked dal to the cooker, along with cubed potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes and moong.

- Cover the pressure cooker lid, add the weight and cook for three whistles. One whistle on high flame and two on medium flame. Switch off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally.

- Meanwhile, you can prepare the coconut-based masala/paste and tempering and keep it ready.

MAKING COCONUT CURRY PASTE

- In a mixer or blender jar, add grated coconut, red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cashews with very little water (¼ to ½ cup) and blend it to smooth paste. Keep this aside. Check out the video here on making of mooga gashi

MAKE THE TEMPERING

- In a pan, heat oil. To this, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add dry red chile, and curry leaves, saute for a few seconds, and switch off the flame.

MAKING OF MOOGA GASHI

- Open the pressure cooker lid. Add curry leaves, coconut curry paste, salt to taste, and water only if required (if the gravy looks too thick) and bring it to a nice boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

- Add the tempering that was prepared earlier and switch off the flame.

- Serve steaming hot mooga gashi with ekpani chutney and steamed rice, and enjoy.