Cherupayar curry / Whole green gram and coconut curry recipe – a simple Kerala style whole green moong dal curry flavored with coconut and spices. This South Indian dish is mildly spiced and flavorful.
Green mung beans and coconut go so well together and the freshly ground spices give a nice flavor to the curry. There are just a few ingredients used in this curry but it tastes absolutely delicious.
Sometimes I make a simple wholesome green moong dal khichdi for lunch. This curry is equally simple and can be served with rice, puttu or chapathis
About This Recipe
The recipe for this green moong dal curry is very easy. First, the dal needs to be cooked till soft. It is then seasoned with a few spices and combined with a ground coconut paste.
The green mung beans and coconut along with the mild spices makes this curry flavorful.
You can serve it with puttu, chapathis or rice.
Health Benefits
- Mung Beans
- Mung beans are easy to digest.
- They are a great source of proteins.
- They are a good source of minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron.
Ingredients You Need
- Green Gram: Mung beans (cherupayar / sabut moong dal) are small round beans, olive-green in color. They have a pleasant earthy flavor and slightly sweet in taste. In this recipe, I have cooked the dal without soaking. You can even soak it and then use it. In that case, you will need to pressure cook it for around 1 whistle only.
- Coconut: We use grated coconut here. We blend the coconut with spices and use it in the curry. It gives thickness to the curry as well as makes it tasty.
- Garlic: Peeled garlic cloves are sliced and used. These add flavor to the dish.
- Onion: I used red onion. You can substitute with a few shallots (sambar onions) too.
- Mustard seeds: while tempering, we use black mustard seeds.
- Cumin seeds: add flavor to the dish.
- Red chillies: red chillies add spice to the dish. You can substitute with the desired amount of slit green chillies.
- Turmeric powder: gives a nice color and flavor to the curry as well as has health benefits.
- Curry leaves: lends a nice flavor to the curry.
- Oil: Coconut oil tastes best for this dish. You can substitute with any other vegetable oil like sunflower oil or groundnut oil.
- Salt: to enhance flavor.
More Curry Recipes
A few more curry recipes that you will love.
Curry Recipes
How to make Cherupayar Curry Step by Step
- Firstly pick and wash the whole green moong dal 4-5 times. Drain the water and add the rinsed moong dal to a pressure cooker and pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 5 whistles on medium flame or till the dal turns soft.
- Once the pressure has released by itself, remove the lid of the cooker and lightly mash the cooked dal.
- Meanwhile, blend the grated coconut, cumin seeds and dry red chillies to a fine paste by adding little water and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and once they splutter, add finely chopped onions, sliced garlic and curry leaves.
- Fry till the edges of the onion turn brown in color.
- Then add the ground coconut paste.
- Add 3/4 cup water and let it come to a boil.
- Finally add the cooked moong dal along with turmeric powder and salt. Let this simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
- Green moong dal and coconut curry is ready to be served.
Recipe Tips
- Cooking Dal: Make sure that the dal is soft and easily mashed when cooked. If not soft, cook for a longer time with enough water till it turns soft.
- Soaking Dal: You can even soak the dal overnight or for around 6-8 hours and use it. If soaking, you can pressure cook the dal for just 1 whistle.
Cherupayar Curry – a lightly spiced Kerala style mung beans and coconut curry recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole green gram dal (cherupayar / mung bean / pachai payaru)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 3/4 tsp sliced garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 dry red chillies
- A few curry leaves
- 2 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pick and wash the whole green moong dal 4-5 times. Drain the water and add the rinsed moong dal to a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups water. Pressure cook for 5 whistles on medium flame or till the dal turns soft.
- Once the pressure has released by itself, remove the lid of the cooker and lightly mash the cooked dal.
- Meanwhile, blend the grated coconut, cumin seeds and dry red chillies to a fine paste by adding little water and set aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds and once they splutter, add finely chopped onions, sliced garlic and curry leaves.
- Saute till the edges of the onion turn brown in color.
- Then add the ground coconut paste.
- Add 3/4 cup water and let it come to a boil.
- Once the gravy comes to a boil, add the cooked moong dal along with turmeric powder and salt. Let the gravy simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes and remove from heat.
- Whole green gram coconut curry is ready to be served.
Notes
- Make sure the dal is cooked soft and is easily mashed.
- You can even soak the dal overnight or for 6-8 hours. Then pressure cook the dal for 1 whistle and use it in the curry.
Nutrition Information
Serving size:1 serving Calories:207 calories Fat:8 g Saturated fat:4.5 g Unsaturated fat:0 g Trans fat:0 g Carbohydrates:26.5 g Sugar:4.3 g Sodium:10 mg Fiber:7.5 g Protein:9.1 g Cholesterol:0 mg
More Kerala Recipes
A few Kerala style recipes that you can try
- Beetroot Thoran – beetroot stir fry with coconut
- Brinjal Theeyal – flavorful spiced roasted coconut gravy with brinjal
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