Ayurvedic Mung Dahl Recipe by Ambassodor Alice Mooney

Origins 

Mung Dahl is an Ayurvedic inspired, warming, vegan, immune boosting dish. When I eat this, I feel it is pure, clean and good for me. 

Marathon training as a vegetarian with a physical lifestyle where I cycle to work and teach yoga was a stimulus for me to create energy rich, easy to digest dishes with plant-based sources of protein and unsaturated fats.

Dahl (sometimes spelled daal or dal) is a fragrant Indian spiced lentil/pulse/bean dish. Any Indian lentil soup is also called dahl.

This dahl of mung beans is called ‘Mung Dahl’.  Mungs beans are sometimes called ‘Moong’ or in bio stores in Mysore, India during my time training at an Ashtanga Yoga shala last year, ‘Green Gram’!

Mung beans are whole (in green husks) which are more fibrous or 'split' without husks. I prefer whole beans though note that these need some advance preparation, by soaking overnight in cold water, with a fresh water change the next morning.

Nutrient Profile 

This dish offers:

• a rich source of plant protein with 24g protein per 100g mung beans (when compared with, for example, quinoa 4.4g protein/100g or red lentils 9g protein/100g)
• low GI (glycaemic index) supporting steady physical and mental energy levels, avoiding spiking blood sugars and crashes in energy and concentration
• dietary fibre, gut friendly aiding heathy digestion and elimination
• gluten free
• saturated fat free! 1.1g fat/100g of which saturates 0.3g! useful to maintain lean body mass, supporting an athletic lifestyle and healthy heart with low/no cholesterol & healthy blood pressure levels
• fresh and ground spices offer medicinal, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties helpful in killing seasonal germs, balancing blood sugars and reducing sugar cravings
• rich in micronutrients such as: magnesium, iron, vitamin B6, calcium
• high in antioxidants reducing inflammation that can be the root cause of more sinister diseases

Recipe 

Ingredients: 

250g mung beans (organic whole dried)

500ml-750ml+ fresh water

2 x carrots

1 bunch fresh coriander

1 bunch/bag fresh spinach

2 x limes

Spice paste

(note: ground spices are fine to use also but fresh taste best)

2 x green chilli

root ginger

root turmeric

3 x cloves garlic

2 x shallots

1 teasp cumin seeds

1 teasp coriander seeds

Method 

Soak whole mung beans for 24 hours - overnight in a large bowl of water in the fridge with a fresh water change the following morning.

Bring approx. 750 ml fresh water to boil in a large pan, add salt and raw mung beans and reduce to simmer for 20 mins

Warm coconut oil in a small pan and add sliced shallots on a low heat to soften

Spice Paste

Dry toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper in a small pan

Roughly chop chilli, root ginger, root turmeric & garlic

Add all to a magimix/food processor to combine to make a paste

Add spice paste to shallots & coconut oil and stir well

Add grated carrots and stir

Add mixture to the pan of simmering mung beans

Allow aromatic spices to infuse and work their magic!

Simmer for ~15 mins until mung beans are ‘al dente’, adding more water if you prefer a soup like texture

To serve, stir in fresh spinach leaves for 2mins

Stir in fresh coriander

Squeeze fresh lime juice

Served with delicious Indian breads such as roti

Optional: side of steamed spinach or green veg

This dish really gets better with time!

Enjoy :)

Alice Mooney 

Moonchild Ambassador 

@therapybyalicemooney www.alicemooneytherapy.com