Naqiyah Mayat's Mugh Dahl

A beautiful vegetarian, warming dahl – perfect for #meatfree Mondays!

“Mugh is more commonly known as Moong or Green Lentil Dhal. It's sold in most Indian spice stores... I've never attempted cooking Mugh without soaking it. And even with soaking, it usually needs to boil for at least an hour to be perfectly soft…(but) using my Instant Pot, the total time without soaking the mugh was 75 minutes. I’m really happy with the end result…”
 
Thanks to @naqiyahmayat for creating and testing this warming recipe

Ingredients

1.5 cups of mugh (green lentils)
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp whole cumin
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp red ginger and garlic masala
Half a tsp green masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
Half a tsp methi masala
2 tomatoes, grated
Curry leaf
Green chilli
-
Tempering
2 tbsp ghee
Whole dried red chilli
Half an onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
-
To serve
Yogurt
Chopped coriander
Roti, or Parata
Salad seasoned with salt and vinegar

Method

Wash and rinse the lentils. Add enough water just to cover the lentils while you're preparing the base or chutney.

Switch on Sauté, all inner pot to get hot and add the ghee and oil.  Once melted, add the whole cumin and onion.

Once the onion starts to brown, add the masala and spices. Adjust to Less by pushing Sauté button again.  Stir gently.

Add the tomato and curry leaf, and allow this to complete the full cooking/Sauté cycle for 30 minutes.

During which time, the lentils have had some time to soak. Rinse and add it into the chutney once the 30 minutes are up.

Add 3 cups of water and switch to the Pressure Cook function for 45 minutes.  Allow a 10 min Natural Pressure Release, then Quick Release the remaining pressure. 

We prefer a slightly thicker dish, but increase your liquid and switch back to Sauté mode to cook a bit longer for a more runny Mugh.

Create the tempering by warming up ghee and allowing the onion and garlic to brown. Spoon over before serving.

For more recipes by Naqiyah, head to the link below:

https://naqiyahmayat.com/