This is one of those dinners that you could really feel good about eating. Lentils and mung beans are a great source of fiber, high in protein, and are loaded with B vitamins and other important nutrients!
They are also very inexpensive! We buy our dried beans in the bulk section, so we only need to pay for the amount we need. The great thing about the bulk section is that you can either just buy what you need or stock up on things to keep in your pantry that you use frequently. We also purchase nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, and occasionally dried fruit through the bulk section. Always check out your store's bulk section if they have one. Sometimes you discover things you never even knew to try!
Another great thing about these two types of beans is that you don't need to soak them like other dried beans and they don't take very long to cook. I tend to use canned beans for my other recipes because I really dislike the long soak/cook process, especially when I'm short on time. You don't need to worry about that with these little gems!
When this dish comes together, it is spicy, savory, and filling! I hope you enjoy! :)
Red Lentil & Mung Bean Dal
Ingredients:
1 tbs avocado or coconut oil (or olive oil)
2 yellow onions, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cayenne*
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
1 tbs flour
3/4 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup dry mung beans, rinsed and drained**
ground black pepper and pink Himalayan salt, to taste
prepared basmati rice for serving
fresh cilantro for garnish
*I would recommend using less or omitting the cayenne if you are making this for young children or if you don't like spicy food! You could also use a milder chili powder instead!
**If you can't find mung beans you could just replace them with more red lentils (so 1 1/2 cups total), but I would give them a try, I think they're worth it!
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in deep pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft.
3. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne. Stir and cook for an additional minute so the garlic and ginger can soften.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and flour. Stir to combine.
5. Add lentils and mung beans. Stir.
6. Turn heat to high until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes (or until lentils & mung beans are cooked to your liking). Note: I need to stir mine quite frequently while it simmers so the beans don't stick to the bottom because even on low, my stovetop is pretty hot. If you have an electric stove then you shouldn't have this problem, but still keep an eye on it!