Maybe you've seen the whole version, which is round and green and known as either moong or mung. This yellow form is the same dal, but the skin is removed and it is spit, why it is called duhli or washed, as if the skin is washed away.
Lentils and beans often come in various forms because each has a unique taste, has different cook times, and uses different amounts of water. Always keep in mind that any legume (lentil, bean, or pea) that is whole with the skin will likely need to be soaked first and then cooked down longer with more water.
We often reach for this yellow split moong dal for a quick dinner. Back when I was a television reporter working the early morning shift, I always made this dal for my girls, then babies. They loved the taste, and I loved how it cooked up so fast.
I like to showcase this dal in my cooking demos because folks who have never had it before or think they don't like lentils (it's technically a bean) are blown away by how delicious it is. If it's so good, why haven't you had it before?
For one, few Indian restaurants showcase it. It's not as sexy as the black legumes that make dal makhani, or as commonly found in mainstream grocers as the orange split lentils. But, split and skinned yellow moong dal is the backbone of Punjabi home cooking.
In my first book, The Indian Slow Cooker, on page 64, I offer you a recipe for it in the crock pot and tell you how my late father-in-law ate it for dinner every Monday night. I'd argue that the magic is actually in the simplicity of this dal. Everything you add to it - from the spices to the chopped fresh chiles, onion, and cilantro - only elevates it to an unbelievably delicious experience, especially when served over simple basmati rice with a dollop of ghee on top and Indian pickle on the side. My mouth is already watering.
When I began selling this dal to retailers a few years back, I got some pushback from buyers and my own Indian community. They told me no way would folks purchase it. I disagreed. Now, my number one seller is this yellow split moong dal. The recipe below shows you how to prepare it using my curry starter, Punjabi masala.
Makes 4 1/2 cups
Check out this recipe from scratch, and my books, The Indian Slow Cooker for the slowcooker recipe I mentioned above, and Indian For Everyone, where I share a version made with spinach on page 140. In the same book on page 143, there's a recipe for this dal dry - a dish that we love stuffed into Indian breads.
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