Mung Dal/Moong Dal

Mung dal/moong dal comes from dried mung beans (the same beans that are sprouted to produce bean sprouts) from the plant Phaseolus aureus. Whole mung beans are small dull green peas that are known as mung gram or green gram; split mung beans are green on the outside and yellow on the inside. Most commonly, mung dal refers to hulled and split mung beans, which are bright golden yellow. In this book we call for only split hulled mung. When mung dal is cooked, it becomes thick and smooth, almost creamy in texture. It is supposedly the easiest of the dals to digest, and it is one the most commonly given to children. It is also the dal most often used to make khichadi (Stir-fried Rice and Dal).