Moong Dal Tadka
A protein-boosted moong dal made with a generous blend of moong and chana dal, served with halved boiled eggs and a sizzling garlic tadka, alongside thick Greek yogurt.
Moong dal tadka was the first dish I ever cooked entirely on my own. I was in my first apartment, missing home cooking, so I called my mom and she walked me through it over the phone. "It's the easiest dal," she told me. "You can't mess it up." She was right. It's forgiving, fast, and produces this silky, comforting texture that's hard to beat.
The tadka, that final flourish of spices sizzled in ghee and poured over the top, is the best part. Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and sliced garlic hitting hot ghee is one of the best smells in cooking. It takes the dal from simple to special in about 30 seconds.
The traditional version is comfort food, but at 10-12g protein per serving, it wasn't doing enough for my goals. My upgraded version blends in chana dal (which has more protein per cup), tops each serving with halved boiled eggs, and comes with a thick side of Greek yogurt. From 10g to 26g protein, it's still the easiest dal you can make, it's just working a lot harder for you now.
The Protein Upgrade
Simple moong dal is comfort food, but at 10-12g protein per serving, it's not pulling its weight for anyone tracking macros. We made three changes: blended moong dal with a full cup of protein-dense chana dal, added halved boiled eggs to each serving, and serve it with a thick Greek yogurt side. From 10-12g to 26g per serving, more than double the protein while keeping all the soul of the original.
Moong Dal Tadka
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (washed and rinsed) 6g protein
- 1 cup chana dal (washed and rinsed) 6g protein
- 4 large eggs (hard-boiled, halved) 6g protein
- 4 cups water
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil (for tadka)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
- 8 curry leaves
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium tomato (finely diced)
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt (served on the side) 3g protein
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (for garnish)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
Instructions
- Wash both dals thoroughly until the water runs clear.
- Add both dals to a pot with 4 cups water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until completely soft and mushy. Whisk to break it down. Add more water if needed.
- For the tadka: Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
- Add dried red chilies, curry leaves, and sliced garlic. Sauté until garlic is golden, about 1 minute.
- Add diced tomato and chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tomato softens.
- Pour the tadka over the cooked dal. Stir gently.
- Hard-boil the eggs, peel, and halve them.
- Serve dal topped with halved eggs, with a generous side of Greek yogurt, garnished with cilantro and lemon wedges.
Boost Your Protein
- Add an extra egg per serving for an extra 6g protein.
- Stir in cottage cheese for an extra 7g protein per serving.
- Serve over quinoa for an extra 4g protein per serving.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No chana dal? Use red lentils (masoor dal), they cook faster and blend in well.
- No curry leaves? Use a bay leaf during cooking, though the flavor won't be identical.
- No eggs? Stir in 1 cup cottage cheese for a similar protein boost.
- Swap ghee for oil in the tadka for a lighter, dairy-free version.
