Mung beans are a good source of vegetarian protein and are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Many Ayurvedic recipes incorporate these beans because of their nutritional value. Because it is so gentle on the digestive system, mung dal is a popular food for times of cleansing, weakness, or recovery from illness.
Thali – South Indian Meal
In general, no South Indian meal is considered complete without at least one (if not two) chutneys. Back in the day when I used to work in Bangalore, my favorite meal was a ‘thali’, at a restaurant called Nagarjuna Residency. An unlimited meal served on plantain leaf, with a variety of chutneys, veggies and dals, thali is total bang for the buck. I would get so full and sleepy after the meal, the thought of going back to was dreadful! The thing I liked the most about this meal was the variety of fresh chutneys they would serve. Each time I had a thali here I would always get at least one chutney I hadn’t tried before.
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- Wet & dry chutneys
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- Thali
Yellow Mung-Raw Onion Chutney
Definitely, this is one of the simplest and one of my most favorite chutneys. In fact, there is absolutely no cooking involved (yes, no cooking!). Other than the step where you need to soak mung beans for about 30 minutes, you can get this chutney ready from start to finish in 10 minutes flat (just 2 steps)! If you are the kind who doesn’t care about washing lentils (especially organic ones), you can skip the soaking step.
Onion or Shallot
Because onion is raw in this recipe, you’ll need to be careful about what kind to use. I used a shallot the first time I made this chutney and it was so sharp I almost choked! I typically use shallots more than white or yellow onions since I find them very flavorful. They turn out great when sautéed but eating them raw can be a challenge! So, I’ll strongly recommend a white or a yellow onion for this recipe.
Organic yellow mung dal is made from whole mung beans that have been hulled and split, resulting in a delicate lentil-like legume that is quick to cook, easy to digest, and highly nutritious. High in dietary fiber and an excellent source of protein, yellow mung dal is nourishing and strengthening to all tissues of the body
Be sure to check out some of our awesome chutneys, chutney powders and pickles:
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
- Spicy Sweet Tangy Tomato Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Zero-Waste Butternut Squash Sippae (Peel) Chutney
- Sesame Chutney Powder
- Spicy Raw Carrot Pickle (Gajar ka Achar)
- Tart Spicy Pickled Cauliflower
- Pickled Chili Peppers
- Dosavakaya: Raw Yellow Cucumber Pickle
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Yellow Mung-Raw Onion Chutney
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Mung
- 1/2 Cup Onion - White, cut into large pieces
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Or cayenne pepper. Vary to taste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Tamarind - Paste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Vary to taste
Instructions
- Soak mung beans for about 30 minutes, wash, drain.
- Add mung, salt, chili powder into a blender jar and blend to a coarse powder.
- Add tamarind paste and blend for 10 seconds. Add onion (and some water if too thick) and pulse for 10 more seconds. Make sure the onion still has some small chunks left, to give the chutney a crunchy texture. Viola! It truly is that simple.
- Scoop it into a jar and serve fresh or refrigerate for later use- it has a shelf life of 4 - 6 days in the fridge.
