I fully admit, this is my first attempt at making moringa dal. I figured I could wing it, since I’ve already made different dals. How difficult could it be?! Luckily for me, this is one of those occasions, where I was right! Full disclosure, I was skeptical till the final product was ready. Not having cooked with this leaf before, I had to look up a few recipes online before deciding to pick a recipe. I had a plan though, of what modifications I wanted to make.

 

Moringa Leaf

 

While I have been planning to cook this dal for a while now, I haven’t been able to get around to it until now since I couldn’t find fresh moringa leaves. Regular groceries in the US don’t sell it. You get powders, drinks and other products, but not the fresh leaves. I lucked out yesterday during my trip to our neighborhood Indian grocery store. They were selling this huge pack of moringa leaves for two dollars (1.99 actually).  I was super excited! I couldn’t wait to get back home and start cooking.

 

My Moringa Plant

My Moringa Plant

 

 

Moringa Recipes

 

Interestingly, though we used to have a huge moringa tree in India, my mom never cooked the leaves. I decided to chat with her and find out why. She said that back then, they had no idea that the leaves cooked be cooked. They also had no idea that the leaves had so many health benefits. Which is true-moringa leaf has really come into prominence only recently. While moringa pods are used in several recipes in India, moringa leaf recipes are only just getting popular. I did some brainstorming with my mom and got some interesting ideas for a chutney and a lentil curry, which I will be working on soon!

 

Cooking Lentils

 

Clearly, my first choice for cooking any dal is Instant Pot. In fact, that is the first thing I cooked when I got my Instant Pot a few years ago. I got it to cook brown rice, but that somehow never worked out for me. I always pressure cook lentils first, set them aside, and then cook the rest of the ingredients, before adding cooked lentils. Many folks think it is extra time and effort, but it tastes better and is far more nutritious this way. Moringa leaves take a couple of minutes to cook, whereas lentils take at least 15 minutes. If you cook them together, you’re losing a lot of nutrition of the moringa leaves.

 

Why Is This Healthy?

You are probably aware that moringa is classified as a super food. Moringa has gained a reputation for fighting inflammation and combating various effects of malnutrition and aging, earning the nickname “the miracle plant.”

 

Here are some of our delicious moringa recipes:

 

And don’t forget to check out all our lentil-based dal and curry recipes:

 

Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramYouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.

 

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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Moringa Leaf Dal

Moringa leaf is a super food, containing more than 46 antioxidants. This dal made with moringa leaves is as delicious as it is nutritious!
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Curry Leaves, Garlic, Moringa Leaves, Mustard Seeds, Onion, toor dal, turmeric
Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Soak Lentils 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 298kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Moringa Leaves - Fresh, Packed
  • 1 Cup Toor Dal - Split pigeon peas
  • 1 Clove Garlic - Large, diced
  • 1/2 Cup Onion - Fine cut
  • 1 Pepper Dry Red Chili - Large
  • 1 Pepper Green Chili Pepper - Slit in half
  • 8-10 Leaves Curry Leaves
  • 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Gram Lentils - Urad dal
  • 1/8 Cup Tamarind - Water from soaked tamarind OR 1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil - Cold Pressed

Instructions

  • Wash toor dal lentils until the water runs clear. Soak lentils for 30 minutes and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. If you're short on time, skip soaking and pressure cook for 24 minutes.
  • Get your ingredients ready. 1. Moringa leaves (washed and drained) 2. Tamarind , onion, garlic, turmeric powder 3. Seasoning ingredients: curry leaves, urad dal, red and green chili pepper, cumin and mustard seeds 4. Pressure cooked toor dal.
  • Set IP on 'saute' mode, add coconut oil, wait for 'hot' sign.
  • Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add seasoning ingredients (curry leaves, urad dal, red and green chili pepper, cumin and mustard seeds) and turmeric, mix well.
  • Add moringa leaves, stir for a few seconds and add pressure cooked lentils. Add tamarind, salt, mix well and cook for a minute.
  • Transfer to bowl and serve hot.

Video

Notes

Great with steamed brown rice and organic ghee or with hot methi paratha.
*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Moringa Leaf Dal
Serving Size
 
115 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
298
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
3
g
19
%
Sodium
 
326
mg
14
%
Potassium
 
391
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
 
45
g
15
%
Fiber
 
7
g
29
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
17
g
34
%
Vitamin A
 
184
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
342
mg
415
%
Calcium
 
572
mg
57
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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