Name: Moong Dal Kosambari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¼ cup Split Yellow Mung Beans, split & husked, soaked for 2 hours; 1 cup Cucumber, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Freshly Grated Coconut; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; ½ tsp Salt, or to taste; 1 tsp Cooking Oil, for tempering; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, hing; 1 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; 5 Curry Leaves, torn

2 hr 25 mintotal

25 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 5 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

Drain the soaked moong dal completely. There should be no excess water.
In a mixing bowl, add the drained moong dal, chopped cucumber, grated coconut, and fresh coriander.
Heat the cooking oil in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add asafoetida (hing), chopped green chilli, and curry leaves to the hot oil. Sauté for 5 seconds and turn off the heat.
5 sec
Pour this hot tempering over the dal and cucumber mixture.
Add lemon juice and salt just before serving. Mix everything thoroughly.

How to tell it's done

The salad should have a fresh crunch from the cucumber and a soft, yielding bite from the soaked moong dal.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

149kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein7 g18%
Carbohydrate20.2 g51%
Fat5.3 g31%

Sugars: 3.4 g
Saturated fat: 2.7 g
Fibre: 5.3 g
Sodium: 589 mg
Potassium: 452 mg
Calcium: 47 mg
Iron: 2.2 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Ensure the moong dal is completely drained; pat it dry with a kitchen towel if needed to prevent a watery salad.

What to serve it with

Traditionally served during festivals or as a cooling side dish with hot meals.

Common mistakes

The dal is hard and starchy.: Two hours of soaking is the minimum, and the dal should crush easily between finger and thumb before it goes in. This is a raw salad — there is no cooking stage to rescue under-soaked dal.

Storing and reheating

Serve within a couple of hours. Soaked and drained dal keeps a day in the fridge; add the cucumber, lemon and salt only at serving, since kosambari is at its best the moment it is mixed.

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Ingredients