Instant Pot Mung Bean and Potato Dahl

Instant Pot Mung Bean and Potato Dahl

Inspired by a Gudjarati staple, this hearty mung bean and potato dahl, spiced with cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, and fragrant fresh cilantro is sure to become your go-to comfort food on rainy, dreary days. Vegan, oil-free, whole food, plant-based, and gluten-free if asafoetida is excluded. Serve by itself or over rice with a drizzle of Sriracha for a filling, quick and easy meal that’s perfect for busy weekdays.

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Instant Pot Mung Bean Dahl

Yield: 4

Author: Courtney Crary- Not Like Mama

Prep time: 10 MCook time: 40 MTotal time: 50 M

Inspired by a Gudjarati staple, this hearty mung bean and potato dahl, spiced with cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, and fragrant fresh cilantro is sure to become your go-to comfort food on rainy, dreary days. Vegan, oil-free, whole food, plant-based, and gluten-free if asafoetida is excluded. Serve by itself or over rice with a drizzle of Sriracha for a filling, quick and easy meal that’s perfect for busy weekdays.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mung beans, rinsed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed for less spice)
• 3 cups baby spinach, packed
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
• 1/2 lime, juice of (plus wedges for serving)
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/8th tsp asafoetida powder (optional- see notes)
• 2 Tbsp dhana jeera powder (see notes)
• freshly cracked black pepper, generous amount
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Set the Instant Pot to "Saute" on "normal," then allow it to come to temperature.
2. Add the onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes or until they become translucent.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, paprika, and asafoetida powder.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about one minute or until fragrant.  
4. Deglaze the pot with a few Tbsp of water.
5. Turn the Instant Pot off.
6. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, jalapeno, mung beans, and water.
7. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to "sealing."  Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
8. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes.
9. Vent any remaining pressure, then add the dhana jeera powder, cilantro, spinach, lime juice, and kosher salt.
10. Serve by itself OR over rice with extra cilantro as garnish and a drizzle of Sriracha.  Serving size is based on servings of just the dahl.

Notes:

-Most asafoetida powder is cut with wheat flour. However, gluten-free brands do exist (or the asafoetida can be excluded from the recipe). -Dhana jeera powder is simply a combination of cumin and coriander powder. If you don't want to buy the mixture (or can't find it), make your own by combining one part cumin to two parts coriander (for this recipe, that would be 2 tsp of cumin and 4 tsp of coriander). I've included some affiliate links to both of those spices if you would like to purchase some from Amazon. -For more recipe notes, please continue reading below this recipe card.

Calories

171.55

Fat (grams)

0.88

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.22

Carbs (grams)

36.20

Fiber (grams)

8.90

Net carbs

27.30

Sugar (grams)

5.21

Protein (grams)

7.94

Sodium (milligrams)

920.09

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

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About the Recipe:

Before NYC locked down in response to Covid, I had the pleasure of taking an online cooking class from Anjali at Amma’s Cooking Co.. Anjali, whose family is from Gujarat (a state in Western India), shares her love for Gujarati cuisine and teaches her students how to cook recipes intuitively (by sight, smell, and touch); the same way she was taught. It was such a fun experience. I’ve tried many times to make “authentic” tasting Indian food and have been repeatedly underwhelmed. In Brooklyn, we’re surrounded by delicious Indian restaurants with lots of vegan options. Compared to all that Indian take-out, my homemade recipes fell flat. Thanks to Anjali’s guidance (and some spices that I hadn’t heard of until our class), I have at least one recipe that tastes and feels “authentic” to me. I keep putting “authentic” in quotes because I’m still a white girl from Montana who has never travelled to India, so I’m probably not the best judge of authentic Indian flavors lol.

Anyway, in my class with Amma’s Cooking Co. , Anjali walked me through making a mung bean stew. I really enjoyed the dish, so I continued making it for about 6 weeks. Over that time, it has morphed into something a little different. I added garlic and potatoes because we’ve been stuck in quarantine for six weeks now and I’ve been loading up on dry-storage foods every time we grocery shop (plus, I thought they would go well with the mung beans). I added spinach just to pack some more micronutrients into the dish. And I eventually tried making it in the Instant Pot so I could set it and forget it.

Many thanks to Anjali for introducing me to this dish, these flavors, and mung beans! If you are interesting in taking a class with her, go to her website at Amma’s Cooking Co.. There are several different recipes you can choose to learn how to make (and they all look delicious). All of her recipes are vegetarian, so if you’re vegan and/or oil-free she will work with you to make whichever recipe you choose compliant. She’ll send you a list of ingredients to purchase before the class (and help you find them if you’re having troubles like I did). Then you just show up to the zoom call and enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES:

Looking for some of those specialty ingredients? First, see if you have a local Indian market. If you do, they will definitely carry these ingredients. If not, you can order them on Amazon.

1. ASAFOETIDA: As you might guess, I had no idea what this was before taking my class with Amma’s Cooking Co. Turns out, it’s a gum extracted from the tap root of a large, perennial herb called Ferula. It has a pungent, sulfur smell which reminds me of Black Salt. In dishes, it mimics the flavor of onions, making it a good option for flavoring Low FODMAP dishes. While you may shrink away from the smell of the powder, it does greatly enhance the depth of flavor of the dish. So just try it!

2. If you are gluten-free, be sure to purchase a gluten-free Asafoetida (the powder linked above is GF).

3. Dhana Jeera powder is a blend of cumin and coriander. If you can’t find it in the store (and don’t want to order from Amazon), make it at home! For this recipe, combine 2 tsp of cumin with 4 tsp of ground coriander.

4. You can substitute spinach for kale or collard greens, if you prefer.

5. Once the mixture has pressure cooked and you’ve removed the lid, it may look a little thin and soup-like. As you stir in the remaining ingredients, it will thicken up.

6. If you’re using table salt or sea salt, only use 3/4 tsp or simply add salt to taste.

7. I recommend enjoying this dish over brown rice with an additional squeeze of lime, a garnish of cilantro, and a drizzle of Sriracha.

8. This freezes well! Make a big batch and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

9. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, simply make it on the stove in a covered pot. Allow the potato, spice, mung bean, and onion mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes (or until the mung beans and potatoes are tender). Then stir in the remaining ingredients and serve.

I hope you’re doing well and you and your families are safe and healthy. If you’re looking for something fun and interesting to do from the safety of your home with your roommates, spouse, or kids, check out Amma’s Cooking Co. and sign up for a class!

Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram @notlikemama.

Happy Cooking,

Courtney