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Home / Recipes / Curry Recipes

Mung Bean Curry

Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Modified: Jun 5, 2025 by Sujatha Muralidhar · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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Hands down, this Mung Bean Curry Recipe is irresistible! It's a creamy, spicy, light Indian-style curry with easy-to-find ingredients. The mung beans are cooked to a soft texture with onion, tomato, and spices. It's a one-pot vegan dish that tastes fabulous.

Delicious mung bean curry served in a bowl with rice.

I have a huge soft spot for creamy curries, whether classic, authentic-tasting, or the easiest(like this Lima Bean Curry), fuss-free ones(my choice, Cabbage Curry).

This mung bean curry, made in the Instant Pot, is always my favorite when I want a quick, easy weeknight dinner.

I crafted this mung bean curry recipe with a simplified procedure that retains the authentic taste, making it perfect for those new to Indian cooking.

The creamy mung beans are cooked perfectly with savory flavors, making them great for dipping flatbread and turning your weeknight dinners into a delight without spending too much time in the kitchen.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Mung Bean Curry
  • ♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level
  • The Leftovers
  • FAQ
  • More Curry Recipes To Try
  • 📖 Recipe
close up view of Mung bean curry garnished with fresh cilantro and served with rice.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

⭐️It's a vegan and vegetarian recipe!

⭐️Deliciously creamy and spicy.

⭐️Make ahead and meal prep friendly recipe.

Ingredients

  • Mung beans: You can get these from a specialty store (like Wegmans), online, or Asian stores. Soak the dried green mung bean for 1-3 hours, then rinse and drain the water.
  • Vegetable oil: Feel free to use any neutral-flavored cooking oil, like canola oil.
  • Cumin seeds: This is the flavor booster.
  • Onion: I've used yellow onion, and red onions work perfectly, too.
  • Garlic is another must in this recipe, as it enhances the taste and aroma.
  • Diced tomato: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes are my top choice for this curry, but you can also use freshly pureed tomatoes(homemade).
  • Cayenne pepper is an excellent alternative to authentic Indian red chili powder. You can substitute with smoked or regular paprika to suit your heat tolerance.
  • Ground turmeric: It gives a luscious golden color to the curry but will not impact the taste much.
  • Cilantro: Optional. It gives the mung bean curry a refreshing flavor and a pleasing look.
  • Butter: Optional, but I recommend using this for the rich flavors.

How To Make Mung Bean Curry

Sautéed onions and spices in a pot for mung bean curry
  1. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, add oil and cumin seeds, and cook until the seeds change color. Add onions and sauté until translucent.
tomatoes and the spices added
  1. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, and ground turmeric.
Adding soaked mung beans to the pot for cooking
  1. Add the soaked mung beans(for 1-3 hours) and water. And cook in the Instant Pot for 12 minutes. Let the steam release naturally for 10 minutes.
Finished mung bean curry being whisked before serving.
  1. Open the lid and stir in salt, cilantro, and butter. Slightly crush the mung beans with a whisk, then serve hot with naan or rice.

♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level

This mung bean curry has a medium heat level. And the cayenne pepper adds a moderate amount of heat.

Substitute the cayenne pepper with smoked or sweet paprika for a milder heat.

The Leftovers

  • You can repurpose the leftover mung bean curry as a curry soup.
  • Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for about four days and in the freezer for up to three months.
  • Thaw it in the fridge overnight or defrost it in the microwave in 30-second increments.
  • To reheat, add a splash of water, cover with a kitchen cloth, and heat in the microwave, stirring in between.

FAQ

What are mung beans?

Mung beans are small, skin-on green legumes, commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine. Stores usually carry them as whole mung beans(used in this recipe), split green mung beans, skinless mung beans, and split skinless mung beans. You can use any of these varieties, but each has its own cooking time, so follow the instructions on the package.

Best to serve with?

Serve with steamed white, brown, wild, or quinoa(also with Quinoa Pongal). Enjoy it with naan and any Indian flatbread. Add Indian condiments like raita or Lemon Pickle.

Can I make this curry without soaking mung beans?

I would highly recommend soaking the mung bean before cooking. But if you do not have enough time to soak them, roast dried mung beans over medium heat until they change color slightly. Dry roasting speeds up the cooking time.

Can I make mung bean curry with a slow cooker?

You can use the same recipe for slow cooker variations: Follow this recipe to saute the onion-tomato mixture over the stovetop. Add the sauteed onion-tomato mixture, mung beans, and water to the slow cooker. Cook it on high for 4 hours(the time slightly varies according to the crockpot size).

Is this recipe good to make with a stovetop?

Yes, absolutely. Follow the same Instant Pot method of making mung bean curry until sauteing the onion and tomato. Then cook for 25-40 minutes on low to medium heat by adding 3 cups of water and covering it with a lid, stir occasionally, and add water if needed.

More Curry Recipes To Try

  • Bell pepper curry is made with onions, tomatoes served in a white bowl.
    Bell Pepper Curry
  • paneer tikka mas
    Paneer Tikka Masala
  • paprika chicken soup recipe is ready to enjoy
    Paprika Chicken Soup
  • butternut squash curry served in a dinner plate with rice
    Butternut Squash Curry

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.

📖 Recipe

mung bean curry served with white steamed rice.

Mung Bean Curry

Mung bean curry is an Indian-style curry with ingredients that are easily available. It is a very flavourful side dish best served with rice.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Soaking time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 27 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients

Ingredients for soaking

  • 1 cup moong bean soaked for 1-3 hours and drained
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds onion
  • ¼ cup onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoon garlic
  • 7 oz diced tomato canned/freshly pureed
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or as required
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped/optional
  • 1 tablespoon butter optional

Instructions

  1. Set the Instant pot to saute mode.
  2. Add vegetable oil, cumin seeds. Wait until cumin seeds slightly change its color.
  3. Add onion and saute until it turns translucent.
  4. Now add minced garlic, canned diced tomato, cayenne pepper and ground turmeric.
  5. Add mung bean(soaked and drained) and water.
  6. Set the Instant pot cooking timer for 12 minutes.
  7. And allow it to cook. And wait for 10 minutes to release the steam naturally.
  8. Open the lid, add salt, chopped cilantro and butter.
  9. Use a whisk to slightly crush the mung bean.
  10. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with naan or rice.

Notes

  • Soak dried green mung beans for 1-3 hours, then rinse and drain. If short on time, dry roast them over medium heat until slightly golden to speed up cooking.
  • This recipe works in an Instant Pot, slow cooker (high for 4 hours), or stovetop (simmer for 25-40 minutes with 3 cups of water). Adjust water as needed.
  • The curry has a medium heat level. For a milder version, substitute cayenne pepper for the spice or smoked/sweet paprika.
  • Pair with white, brown, or wild rice, quinoa, naan, or Indian flatbread. Add Indian condiments like raita or lemon pickle.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or microwave in short bursts. Reheat with a splash of water, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 792mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 484IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg

Additional Info

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Author Sujatha Muralidhar
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Comments

    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Andrea Metlika says

    May 21, 2020 at 10:33 pm

    My neighbor made me this once and I loved it. This sounds delicious and I can't wait to make this myself.

    Reply
    • Sujatha Muralidhar says

      May 23, 2020 at 8:02 am

      Thanks you Andrea, glad you like it!

      Reply
  2. Irina says

    May 21, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    We have recently started cooking curry meals, and, to tell the truth, are getting obsessed. Your recipe is on my list:)

    Reply
    • Sujatha Muralidhar says

      May 23, 2020 at 8:02 am

      Hey Irina, thanks for adding this to your list.

      Reply
  3. Sophie Goel says

    May 22, 2020 at 3:34 am

    This curry so so delicious and versatile! Excited to spice up my weeknights with this recipe!

    Reply
    • Sujatha Muralidhar says

      May 23, 2020 at 8:06 am

      Thanks Sophie, glad this recipe can turn your weeknights great!

      Reply
The author image of the food blog pepperbowl.com

Hi, I'm Suja! I'm the person behind PEPPER BOWL, based in Pennsylvania. I focus on easy, simple-to-make recipes inspired by rich flavors with a hint of heat. I enjoy simplifying recipes with minimal ingredients to suit today's busy lifestyle.

More about me →

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