Mung Bean and Coconut Curry (2024)

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Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This healthy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavours, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It's incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top (instructions are provided for both!). If you're looking for a delicious moong dal recipe, this is the one! Grab the recipe and let's get started!

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Hands up if you have a packet of mung beans kicking around the back of your cupboard that you have no idea what to do with! Fear not, I'm here to help with a Mung Bean Curry that's so good if you and your family don't love it, I'll give you your money back.

Just kidding - there are no refunds on Hey Nutrition Lady.

But seriously, this is both one of the easiest and one of the most delicious recipes in my arsenal. It's hands down one of the most popular recipes on this site, and with good reason. Check the comments; it's amazeballs.

Are mung beans and moong dal the same thing?

Sort of... mung beans refer to the whole, intact bean that's encased in a green husk. This is what's in the picture below. Moong dal refers to mung beans with husk removed and split in half, so moong dal and split mung beans are the same thing. Moong dal will have slightly less dietary fiber, and will cook faster than whole mung beans.

This mung bean curry is a one-pot wonder. No fussing around with extra dishes, minimal cleanup, and not all that much chopping involved. And yes, it can be made in the Instant Pot! Secondly, it features ingredients you've probably already got on hand: dried mung beans, canned tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and some fresh cilantro.

It's jam-packed with immune boosting foods (have you counted how many cloves of garlic are in that picture? that'd be nine, and yes, they're all going in!), and the mighty mung bean offers up a good dose of plant-based protein and gut-healthy fiber.

All of that is well and good, but folks, this curry is delicious. If mung beans aren't an ingredient you've cooked with before, I encourage you to give them a try. Unlike some other beans, they don't require soaking, so they're great for quick and easy meals.

And as beans go, mung is fairly easy to digest, so if you're someone who tends towards tummy troubles with other beans, I encourage you to give mung beans a go. When coupled with a spicy masala, coconut milk, and a touch of lime, this mung bean curry becomes a versatile meal. Sip it as a soup, or pair with brown rice or some warm naan bread if you're looking for something more substantial.

Tips for making a killer Mung Bean Curry:

Ummmm, there are NINE cloves of garlic in this curry? Yes ma'am, and I encourage you to use 'em all. I promise you this doesn't come out a garlic bomb of a dish, and you won't reek like garlic after eating it. It just works, and in combination with all of the other spices, the garlic gets mellowed out.
But on that note, use a garlic crusher! Ain't nobody got time to chop up nine cloves of garlic. Or you could buy those jars of pre-chopped garlic and use three tablespoons.
Can I use moong dal / split mung beans in this recipe?I haven't tested this personally, but I do believe it would work. However, using moong dal would result in a considerably different texture to the final product.
Keep your ginger in the freezer!It lasts for ages that way so you'll pretty much always have some on hand for a recipe, plus it's waaaaaayyyy easier to grate from frozen.
Have leftover mung bean curry? Lucky you! This recipe freezes like a dream, and is great for make-ahead meals.
Want to green it up? Be my guest! Throw in some chopped spinach at the end of cooking and let it wilt down into the curry. Delicious!
Can I made this recipe in the Instant Pot? Yes friends, you can! It won't save you all that much time but it comes out like a dream and you don't have to babysit the pot while the curry cooks. Instant Pot users please reduce the water to 3 cups!
What if I don't have an Instant Pot? Then make this delicious vegan curry on the stove top! I've done it that way approximately one million times. I love to use this heavy-bottomed pot.

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Hey Nutrition Lady, tell me about mung beans!

I'd be glad to! Mung beans are a good source of folate, dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium and vitamin K. The protein-plus-fiber combination in beans is one of the things that makes them special. Mung or moong beans refer to the full, intact bean, whereas moong dal refers to a mung bean that has been hulled and split in half.

A one cup serving contains around 15g of fiber (over half of the daily recommended intake), and 15g of protein. Much of the fiber is indigestible, which supports digestive health, particularly in the lower part of our digestive tract.

The protein-fiber combination is also key in stabilizing blood sugar levels, as both protein and fiber move through our digestive systems at a moderate pace. Beans are also rich in soluble fiber, which is helpful for lowering blood cholesterol levels and supporting cardiovascular health.

Other Tasty Curries you might enjoy:

Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
Red Curry Coconut Stir-Fry
Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal

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4.71 from 274 votes

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This easy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavours, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It's incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Curry, Instant Pot, Mung Beans

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 392kcal

Author Katie Trant

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

4 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral-flavoured oil
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
9 cloves garlic crushed (about 3 tablespoon crushed garlic)
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups water
1 cup mung beans picked over for stones and well rinsed
14 oz can coconut milk
1-2 medium limes juiced
½ cup fresh cilantro chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot (I like to use my Dutch oven) heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.
4 tablespoon canola oil
Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute, until they just begin to darken.
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
Add the garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it has browned, but watch it very carefully so that it doesn't burn.
9 cloves garlic
Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, then add ginger, coriander, turmeric, salt, and cayenne.
14 oz can crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauté this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the water and mung beans. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture once or twice.
4 cups water, 1 cup mung beans
Taste a few mung beans to make sure they are cooked. If they are, stir in the coconut milk, and increase the heat to medium-high.
14 oz can coconut milk
Once the curry comes to the boil turn off the heat. Stir in the cilantro and the juice of one lime. Taste and decide whether you'd like to add the second lime as well.
½ cup fresh cilantro, 1-2 medium limes
Serve hot.

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS

Using the sauté function, heat your Instant Pot on normal heat. Add the cooking oil, and then add the cumin seeds and cook them for approximately one minute, until they sizzle.
4 tablespoon canola oil, 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
Add the garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it has browned, but watch it very carefully so that it doesn't burn.
9 cloves garlic
Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, then add ginger, coriander, turmeric, salt, and cayenne.Sauté this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
14 oz can crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add 3 cups of water and the mung beans. Place the lid on your Instant Pot and put on manual pressure cook HIGH setting for 10 minutes. It should take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
1 cup mung beans
Allow the pressure to release naturally (this should take about 20-30 minutes) and remove the lid once safe.
Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve!
14 oz can coconut milk, 1-2 medium limes, ½ cup fresh cilantro

Video

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only
Many people have commented that this recipe contains too much water. I have tested it dozens of times and have never found this to be the case, but every stove is different and every batch of beans is a different age. Remember you can always start with less liquid and add more if needed.
For Instant Pot reduce the water to 3 cups
If you are sensitive to spice, please reduce the cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon or leave it out altogether.

Nutrition

This post contains affiliate links. As am Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Recipe adapted from Vij's At Home.

This recipe was originally published January 22, 2015. Last updated April 20, 2019.

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