Mung Bean Dhal

Learn how to make this delicious and wholesome Mung Bean Dhal using whole green mung beans, tomatoes, aromatics and warming spices. The mung beans are slowly simmered until tender then finished with a flavourful garlic and cumin chunkay.

Course Appetiser

Cuisine Caribbean

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings people

Calories 336kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

For the mung bean dhal

1 cup green mung beans dried
2 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ scotch bonnet chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon pink salt
3½ cups water plus more if needed
black pepper and pink salt if needed

For the chunkay

2-3 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions

Place the mung beans in a fine mesh sieve and rinse them several times with cold water.
Transfer the mung beans to a medium-sized bowl and fill the bowl with enough water to completely cover the beans.
Wrap the bowl with saran wrap (cling film) and leave the mung beans to soak for several hours or overnight if you have the time.
Once soaked, drain off the soaking water then set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the cumin seeds and cook for approximately one minute or until they become aromatic make sure they don't burn.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, ginger and chopped tomatoes.
Saute until the onion is soft and translucent and the tomatoes have started to soften.
Add the ground coriander, turmeric, scotch bonnet, black pepper and pink salt.
Stir everything together and continue to cook for a few minutes.
Add the drained mung beans followed by 3½ cups of water.
Stir everything together then increase the heat and bring to a rolling boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Simmer for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the mung beans are completely tender.Check the water level halfway through the cooking time. If more water is needed, add approximately ¼ cup at a time and continue to simmer.
Once the mung beans are tender, remove the saucepan from the heat.
Use a stick blender or swizzle stick to break down the mung beans until the dhal reaches your desired texture.
Do a taste test and add more black pepper and pink salt, if needed.

How to chunkay the dhal

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cumin seeds.
Temper the garlic and cumin until golden and aromatic, making sure they don't burn.
Carefully pour the hot infused oil directly over the mung bean dhal.
Stir the chunkay into the dhal until everything is combined.
Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve accordingly.

Video

Notes

Make sure you are using whole green mung beans and not split yellow mung dal, as the cooking times and preparation will differ.
Rinse the mung beans several times under cold running water before soaking them.
I recommend soaking the mung beans for several hours or if you prefer, soak them overnight.
If your mung beans are still firm after 30-40 minutes, don't panic. Continue to simmer them until completely tender, adding additional water as needed.
Keep an eye on the water levels while the mung beans are cooking. If the dhal starts to become too dry, add approximately ¼ cup of water at a time.
Try not to add too much water at once. You can always add more if needed, but adding too much can make the dhal overly watery.
Make sure the mung beans are completely tender and easy to mash before using the stick blender or swizzle stick.
You don't need to completely puree the dhal. I personally like to break down some of the mung beans while still retaining some texture.
Adjust the Scotch bonnet according to your preference. Use less or omit it altogether if you don't care for too much heat.
Make sure the cumin seeds don't burn when you initially temper them in the olive oil.
When preparing the chunkay, keep a close eye on the garlic because it can go from golden to burnt very quickly.
Be extremely careful when pouring the hot chunkay over the dhal because the oil will be very hot and may splutter.
The dhal will naturally thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, simply stir in a small amount of water until you achieve your desired consistency.
Allow the dhal to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating for up 2 days.
When reheating, you may need to add a splash of water to loosen the dhal. Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot.
The dhal is also freezer friendly, freeze up until 3 months. Thaw thoroughly before reheating and add a small amount of water if needed to restore the consistency.

Nutrition