Moth daal (pronounced moort) is made with the moth bean, a legume native to India. It can be eaten sprouted or cooked. Like other daal legumes, they are an excellent addition to a healthy diet, particularly for vegetarians and vegans, packed with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. The sprouted bean has a sweet, nutty taste. This moth daal can be eaten as a main meal with rice or flatbread; however, it also makes a great breakfast option.
This moth daal is flavoured with mild spices. Adding a squeeze of lime juice gives it a fresh, tangy edge.
Continuing the Indian-style breakfast, why not try my dalia upma or my ghugni?
Or, perhaps you may like to try some other deals, such as my Bengali chana daal, aubergine daal, saag daal, arhar daal, or my luxuriant kaali daal.
Ingredients
- Moth beans
- Grated tomato
- Fresh coriander
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Asafoetida
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Ginger
- Green chilli
- Cucumber
To prepare the ingredients, finely chop the red onion, julienne the ginger, cube the cucumber, chop the coriander and grate the tomato.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Soak the dry moth beans overnight or for at least six hours. Once soaked, rinse with clean water and drain.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and bloom the cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric for about 30 seconds. Add them in this order.
Add the moth beans, salt and water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the moth beans are soft and you can crush them between your fingers.
Add the grated tomatoes and a quarter of the ginger and red onions, and mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes
Add half of the cucumber, chilli, and coriander and mix—Cook for 5 minutes.
Serve hot, garnished with the remaining cucumber, red onion, ginger and coriander.
Add a squeeze of lime juice for a tangy taste, and some chaat masala for extra flavour.
Substitutions
Although this recipe is mostly made with moth beans, if you don't have access to moth beans you can use moong beans.
Variations
This same recipe is often made without cucumber, onions and tomatoes and it's still delicious.
Storage
You can store the cooked moth beans without the cucumber in an airtight container for up to three days in a refrigerator.
If freezing the daal, leave out the cucumber, red onion and ginger and freeze. When ready to eat, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly. Add the cucumber, onion and ginger before serving.
Top tip
Ensure you soak the moth beans overnight or for at least six hours. After soaking, please give them a good rinse through and cook them in fresh water. Soaking is essential to make them more digestible and reduce cooking time.
FAQ
Also known as tempering, blooming spices releases flavour and fragrance. The spices are fried in hot oil very briefly or toasted in a pan before adding to other ingredients in a recipe. Blooming is a quick process, no more than a minute because the aim is to release the fragrance of the spices and not burn them.
📖 Recipe
Moth Daal Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g Moth Beans Dry
- 130 g Grated tomato
- 100 g Cucumber cubed
- 60 g Red Onion finely chopped
- 15 g Ginger Julienne
- 1 Green Chilli Finely sliced
- 10 g Fresh coriander chopped
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 400 ml Water
Instructions
- Soak the moth beans overnight or for at least 6 hours before cooking. The following day, rinse and drain the excess water.
- Finely julienne the ginger. Grate the tomato and finely chop the red onions. Cut the cucumber into small dices. Chop the coriander and finely slice the green chillies.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and bloom the cumin seeds, asafoetida, and turmeric, adding them in that order.
- Add the moth beans, salt and water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes , until the moth beans are soft and can be crushed between your fingers.
- Add the grated tomatoes, a quarter of the ginger and a quarter of the red onions, and give it a mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add half of the cucumber, chilli, and coriander and give it a mix. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnished with the remaining cucumber, red onion, ginger and coriander.
- Squeeze a bit of lime and add chaat masala. These are optional but highly recommended. Serve with toast or parathas.
Nutrition
NOTES
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also essential. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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