Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This healthy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavours, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It’s incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top (instructions are provided for both!). If you’re looking for a delicious moong dal recipe, this is the one! Grab the recipe and let’s get started! 

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Hands up if you have a packet of mung beans kicking around the back of your cupboard that you have no idea what to do with! Fear not, I’m here to help with a Mung Bean Curry that’s so good if you and your family don’t love it, I’ll give you your money back.

Just kidding – there are no refunds on Hey Nutrition Lady.

But seriously, this is both one of the easiest and one of the most delicious recipes in my arsenal. It’s hands down one of the most popular recipes on this site, and with good reason. Check the comments; it’s amazeballs.

Are mung beans and moong dal the same thing?

Sort of… mung beans refer to the whole, intact bean that’s encased in a green husk. This is what’s in the picture below. Moong dal refers to mung beans with husk removed and split in half, so moong dal and split mung beans are the same thing. Moong dal will have slightly less dietary fiber, and will cook faster than whole mung beans.

This mung bean curry is a one-pot wonder. No fussing around with extra dishes, minimal cleanup, and not all that much chopping involved. And yes, it can be made in the Instant Pot! Secondly, it features ingredients you’ve probably already got on hand: dried mung beans, canned tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and some fresh cilantro.

It’s jam-packed with immune boosting foods (have you counted how many cloves of garlic are in that picture? that’d be nine, and yes, they’re all going in!), and the mighty mung bean offers up a good dose of plant-based protein and gut-healthy fiber.

All of that is well and good, but folks, this curry is delicious. If mung beans aren’t an ingredient you’ve cooked with before, I encourage you to give them a try. Unlike some other beans, they don’t require soaking, so they’re great for quick and easy meals.

And as beans go, mung is fairly easy to digest, so if you’re someone who tends towards tummy troubles with other beans, I encourage you to give mung beans a go. When coupled with a spicy masala, coconut milk, and a touch of lime, this mung bean curry becomes a versatile meal. Sip it as a soup, or pair with brown rice or some warm naan bread if you’re looking for something more substantial.

Tips for making a killer Mung Bean Curry:

• Ummmm, there are NINE cloves of garlic in this curry? Yes ma’am, and I encourage you to use ’em all. I promise you this doesn’t come out a garlic bomb of a dish, and you won’t reek like garlic after eating it. It just works, and in combination with all of the other spices, the garlic gets mellowed out.
• But on that note, use a garlic crusher! Ain’t nobody got time to chop up nine cloves of garlic. Or you could buy those jars of pre-chopped garlic and use three tablespoons.
• Can I use moong dal / split mung beans in this recipe? I haven’t tested this personally, but I do believe it would work. However, using moong dal would result in a considerably different texture to the final product.
• Keep your ginger in the freezer! It lasts for ages that way so you’ll pretty much always have some on hand for a recipe, plus it’s waaaaaayyyy easier to grate from frozen.
• Have leftover mung bean curry? Lucky you! This recipe freezes like a dream, and is great for make-ahead meals.
• Want to green it up? Be my guest! Throw in some chopped spinach at the end of cooking and let it wilt down into the curry. Delicious!
• Can I made this recipe in the Instant Pot? Yes friends, you can! It won’t save you all that much time but it comes out like a dream and you don’t have to babysit the pot while the curry cooks. Instant Pot users please reduce the water to 3 cups!
• What if I don’t have an Instant Pot? Then make this delicious vegan curry on the stove top! I’ve done it that way approximately one million times. I love to use this heavy-bottomed pot.

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Hey Nutrition Lady, tell me about mung beans!

I’d be glad to! Mung beans are a good source of folate, dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium and vitamin K. The protein-plus-fiber combination in beans is one of the things that makes them special. Mung or moong beans refer to the full, intact bean, whereas moong dal refers to a mung bean that has been hulled and split in half.

A one cup serving contains around 15g of fiber (over half of the daily recommended intake), and 15g of protein. Much of the fiber is indigestible, which supports digestive health, particularly in the lower part of our digestive tract.

The protein-fiber combination is also key in stabilizing blood sugar levels, as both protein and fiber move through our digestive systems at a moderate pace. Beans are also rich in soluble fiber, which is helpful for lowering blood cholesterol levels and supporting cardiovascular health.

Other Tasty Curries you might enjoy:

Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
Red Curry Coconut Stir-Fry
Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal

4.85 from 60 votes

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Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This easy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavours, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It's incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. 

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Curry

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Calories 392 kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp canola oil or other neutral-flavoured oil
• 1 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
• 9 cloves garlic crushed (about 3 Tbsp crushed garlic)
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup mung beans picked over for stones and well rinsed
• 14 oz can coconut milk
• 1-2 medium limes juiced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot (I like to use my Dutch oven) heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute, until they just begin to darken. 

3. Add the garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it has browned, but watch it very carefully so that it doesn't burn.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, then add ginger, coriander, turmeric, salt, and cayenne.

5. Sauté this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Add the water and mung beans. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture once or twice.

7. Taste a few mung beans to make sure they are cooked. If they are, stir in the coconut milk, and increase the heat to medium-high.
8. Once the curry comes to the boil turn off the heat. Stir in the cilantro and the juice of one lime. Taste and decide whether you'd like to add the second lime as well.
9. Serve hot.

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using the sauté function, heat your Instant Pot on normal heat. Add the cooking oil, and then add the cumin seeds and cook them for approximately one minute, until they sizzle. 

2. Add the garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it has browned, but watch it very carefully so that it doesn't burn.
   

3. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, then add ginger, coriander, turmeric, salt, and cayenne. Sauté this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add 3 cups of water and the mung beans. Place the lid on your Instant Pot and put on manual pressure cook HIGH setting for 10 minutes. It should take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. 

5. Allow the pressure to release naturally (this should take about 20-30 minutes) and remove the lid once safe.

6. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve!

Recipe Notes

• Nutrition values are an estimate only
• For Instant Pot reduce the water to 3 cups

Nutrition Facts

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 14g70%

Sodium 503mg21%

Potassium 892mg25%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 8g32%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 445IU9%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 109mg11%

Iron 5.4mg30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. This allows me to continue to provide free content, and I only share products that I use and love myself.

Recipe adapted from Vij’s At Home.

This recipe was originally published January 22, 2015. Last updated April 20, 2019. 

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