Mooga Gashi | Green Gram Curry Mangalore Style | Vegan Lentil 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.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Coastal Karnataka, gujarati, karkala, Kerala, kundapur, Mangalore, punjabi, Udupi
Servings: 8
Calories: 275kcal
- 1 ½ cups Whole green gram or Mung bean or Sabut Moong dal
- 1 large Potato , cubed (check tips for substitute)
- 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
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.
1 ½ cups Whole green gram
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.
1 large Potato
Cover the pressure cooker lid, add the weight and cook for three whistles. One whistle on a high flame and two on a 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 1 cup Grated coconut, 2 to 3 Dry red chilies, 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon Cashews
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.
1 tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 1 Dry red chilie, 6 to 8 Curry leaves
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.
6 to 8 Curry leaves, Salt
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.
- Cashew is added to make the curry rich and thick.
- A small ball of tamarind (optional) can be added to the paste.
- Curry leaves are added to the gravy to give a nice aroma.
- Mooga gashi is a mildly spicy gravy. If you want it spicy, add more red chilies or one or two slit green chilies to the curry.
- If you want the brown temple-style curry color, then do not add too much of Kashmiri red chilies. Add one dry Kashmiri Red chile and add 1 or 2 Guntur chilies for spiciness. This combination of chilies will give you the good taste and color you want.
- In the USA, I have always used dry grated coconut; in India, I have used fresh coconut, and the gravy tastes good both ways.
- Instead of potatoes, yam (suvarna gadde, surnu), bamboo shoots (kirlu), Chinese potatoes (kooka), or even jackfruit (kadgi), breadfruit (jeev kadgi) can be used.
Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg