Moong dal tadka with beetroot leaves is a great dal recipe to make to use the delicious beet greens. This Beet Greens dal is incredibly easy to make and works so well with rice or bread. I make this in my Instant pot and it is literally a dump and go recipe.
Beet greens or beetroot leaves are in abundance in our backyard and I have been cooking so much with it in the past month. Moong dal tadka is a common dal recipe that I make at home regularly. I use spinach in the dal often and make it as Dal Palak. I followed the same idea and used beetroot leaves instead of spinach and it worked great.
Beetroot leaves are very nutritious and when they grow in the backyard, there is an abundance of it. I got very excited for all the greens more than the beets themselves this year. The beet green along with the tender stems work so well in a dal recipe like this or a stir fry like this Beetroot leaves poriyal.
Beetroot greens are very easy to grow from seeds. I have a small patch where I grow my beetroot, carrot and radish and love to cook with the greens as well whenever possible.
Beet greens have a mild tinge of natural sweetness and it cook really quickly. I have talked about all the health benefits of the beetroot leaves in the Beetroot Leaves Poriyal post. Also the post has detailed pictorials on how to clean the beetroot leaves.
Why make this recipe?
- This moong dal tadka with beetroot leaves is a very easy recipe and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Theis dal taska works great when served with rice or with pulka.
- Beet greens dal is very nutritious and the beetroot leaves are loaded with minerals, vitamins and fiber.
- Often the beetroot bunch that we get from the stores come with the greens and this is a great recipe to use the nutritious beet greens instead of throwing them away.
- I make this Moong dal tadka in the Instant pot and it is so convenient. We literally dump the ingredients and the Instant pot does its thing.
- The recipe is very adaptable and we can use masoor dal, toor dal, mixed dal or moong dal with skin to make this exact recipe.
- This Beet greens dal tadka is a gluten free and vegan recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Lentils - I have used yellow moong dal for this recipe. As I mentioned, we can use a mix of different lentils or use toor dal or masoor dal as well to make this exact recipe. Keep in mind that toor dal takes a little longer to cook, so set the time based on that.
Beet greens - I used freshly harvested beet greens, cleaned and chopped it coarsely to use in the beetroot leaves dal recipe. Check out my beetroot leaves stir fry post to see how to clean the beet leaves.
Other vegetables - I have used onion, tomato, green chilies and ginger in the moong dal tadka recipe.
Whole spices - I have used bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cloves in the dal tadka recipe.
Spice powders - We need turmeric powder and red chili powder for the dal recipe. Other than that I use either olive oil or coconut oil to make my dal. If not vegan, use ghee to do a final tempering.
Step by step process
- Set the instant pot on saute mode and heat oil or ghee in the instant pot inner container. Once the oil heats up, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves (1). Fry it for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the chopped onions and fry it until it turns translucent - about 3 to 5 minutes (2).
- Then add the grated ginger and green chilies and mix well (3).
- After that add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes (4).
- Add the coarsely chopped beetroot leaves (5) followed by the washed and rinsed moong dal (6).
- Then add the turmeric powder and red chili powder along with salt and mix well (7).
- Add water needed to cook the lentil and mix well (8).
- Close the instant pot and place the vent on seal position. Turn off the pot from the saute mode and set it on pressure cook / manual for about 12 minutes.
- Once the instant pot is done with the cycle, let the pressure release naturally and then open the pot. Stir well and adjust the consistency of the beet greens dal (if needed).
- If doing a tadka in the end, heat oil or ghee in a small pan and add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon of red chili powder and let it crackle (9). Add the tadka to the cooked dal. Stir well and serve (10).
Expert tips
- Wash and clean the beetroot leaves well before using in the dal recipe.
- This dal can be made with different dal or with a mix of dal.
- We can make the same dal tadka with spinach, kale, chard, methi or any green leafy vegetable that you harvest.
- The tadka / seasoning in the end is optional but it adds a smoky flavor to the dal.
- If using any different dal / lentil, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- I also use a little bit of tender beetroot stem along with the greens.
Frequently asked question
Yes, if we cook the dal tadka entirely in oil, this recipe is vegan. It is also a gluten free recipe.
I love to serve my moong dal tadka with plain rice or jeera rice. It also tastes really good with quinoa or pulka.
We can absolutely do the entire cooking in the stove top. In that case, I like to cook my dal separately and then I saute all the rest of the ingredients and add the cooked dal at the end and let it simmer.
More dal recipes
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Recipe
Beet Greens Dal | Moong Dal Tadka with Beetroot leaves
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 cups Beetroot leaves Cleaned and chopped
- 1 cup Moong dal washed and drained
- 1 cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Tomato chopped or canned
- 3 Green Chilies
- 2 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon Oil or use ghee if not vegan
- to taste Salt
Instructions
- Set the instant pot on saute mode and heat oil or ghee in the instant pot inner container. Once the oil heats up, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves (1). Fry it for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the chopped onions and fry it until it turns translucent - about 3 to 5 minutes (2).
- Then add the grated ginger and green chilies and mix well (3).
- After that add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes (4).
- Add the coarsely chopped beetroot leaves (5) followed by the washed and rinsed moong dal (6).
- Then add the turmeric powder and red chili powder along with salt and mix well (7).
- Add water needed to cook the lentil and mix well (8).
- Close the instant pot and place the vent on seal position. Turn off the pot from the saute mode and set it on pressure cook / manual for about 12 minutes.
- Once the instant pot is done with the cycle, let the pressure release naturally and then open the pot. Stir well and adjust the consistency of the beet greens dal (if needed).
- If doing a tadka in the end, heat oil or ghee in a small pan and add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon of red chili powder and let it crackle (9). Add the tadka to the cooked dal. Stir well and serve (10).
Notes
- Wash and clean the beetroot leaves well before using in the dal recipe.
- This dal can be made with different dal or with a mix of dal.
- We can make the same dal tadka with spinach, kale, chard, methi or any green leafy vegetable that you harvest.
- The tadka / seasoning in the end is optional but it adds a smoky flavor to the dal.
- If using any different dal / lentil, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- I also use a little bit of tender beetroot stem along with the greens.
Nutrition
Tammy says
Mmm so comforting and delicious! I love all those wonderful spices...what a beautiful and colorful dish!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
This beet greens dal is such a delightful recipe for a weeknight dinner. Easy, quick, and also very nutritious.
Veronika Sykorova says
I love Dal but I've never made it with beet greens. This is the perfect recipe for using up the whole plant instead of tossing the leaves. Can't wait to try this!
Rebecca says
I confess, I'd never even thought about cooking with beetroot leaves until I saw this recipe. I was so intrigued, I made this dish tonight and my whole family loved it! The level of spice is perfect! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you Rebecca! This is the best recipe to use/hide greens for the whole family.
Sharon says
What a wonderful dal recipe. I love that it uses beetroot greens too, something that I enjoy and need more recipes for.
Lauren Michael Harris says
I love all of the flavors in this dal recipe. What a great way to use the whole vegetable. We usually throw out the beet greens, but not anymore!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Yes, never throw them again. This is a wonderful recipe to use the nutritious beet greens.
Marta says
Thankfully, I live in an area that has a large population of Asian Americans, so I was able to find the beet root leaves easily. I loved the aromas this dal created as I was cooking it. It was a fantastic change of pace for us dinnerwise.
Gloria says
This Ukrainian girl LOVES beet greens. What a delicious way to enjoy them. Nothing beats a great tasting dal any day of the week.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Woo hoo! So happy to find someone who loves them as much as me 🙂
Elaine says
One of the best dal recipes that I've seen! Easy to make and it looks absolutely stunning - I bet super delicious, too!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you Elaine! It is delicious and great use for beet greens.
Bernice says
I LOVE beet greens but I've never thought of adding them to dal. What a delicious addition. I am saving this recipe for the summer when I have a good supply of beet greens.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you Bernice. That is exactly what I do. Make a lot of dal with homegrown beet greens.
Arlene says
It sounds so delicious!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks!
Narmadha says
Wow. beetroot leaves dal looks so inviting with tempting pictures. I got a bunch of beetroot leaves today and trying this recipe tomorrow.
Radha says
Amazing and delicious dal. I too make this dal whenever I pick beetroot from the garden. This is a bowl of comfort with rice or roti. Delicious dal!
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
I am totally in love with your recipe. I am very much with you in mixing greens into dal curries, that way it gets eaten at least with my girls. That gravy would be delicious with some jeera rice and aloo fry...
Vaishali says
The Dal Tadka looks stunning, love the colours. I am trying to visualize your backyard full of healthy greens..and trust me I am jealous:)
Suma Gandlur says
This dal is nutritious and sounds to be an yummy one. BTW, how long does it take to harvest beets?
Usha Rao says
I am falling in love with beetroot leaves just looking at your images. Yesterday I but a bunch of beetroots and it had some leaves. It was less than what the recipe requires but used it any way to make dal tadka. Also I use garlic instead of ginger in dals using greens. This time followed your recipe to T and we loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Now I have another variety of greens to use in my cooking !