food 4 tots

Lentil and vegetable curry

lentil, moong dal, split moong dal, mung bean, split mung bean, curry, Indian


I discovered moong dal (mung bean, 绿豆) through my Indian friend who introduced me to Indian cuisine some time ago. The husk of moong dal is green in colour, but the bean itself is yellow after de-husking.  It is commonly used by Chinese in making dessert (such as green bean soup and sweetened green bean paste). Amongst all the beans and lentils, split moong dal is the easiest to cook as it do not need pre-soaking or pressure cooking. It is also an excellent source of high quality protein that is easier to digest as compared to meat. Hence, the Indian ancient medical science Ayurveda recommends moong dal for children and the elderly.


moong dal, mung bean, lentil, dal, food for toddlers


This recipe is my own concoction. Although I uses very little mild Indian spices and herbs in this recipe, you are free to adjust the amount to suit your toddlers’ liking. It requires very minimum time and effort to create this dish. As this is a very versatile dish, you can easily recreate this recipe using any kind of lentils or beans such as green lentil, yellow lentil, red lentil, cow pea, chick peas etc. It is also a wonderful dish which you can hide include in your kid’s diet  a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, beans, cabbage, raddish etc. Or, if you have to clear your leftover vegetables in the kitchen, this dish can be your solution. You can choose to make this curry either thick or thin, depending on whether you want to serve it with rice or chappati.


spices, herbs, mustard seeds, cumin powder, tumeric powder


Despite its name, this dish is not spicy at all. Cooked with a variety of herbs and spices, the moong dal is infused with delicious flavour. The cooked pumpkin and tomatoes give it a velvety texture as well as enhancing its taste.

I love to cook this super-fast dish now and then as my son never seems to get tired of eating it over and over again. 

It’s good to start exposing your toddlers to cuisines from different culture so as to widen their choice of food  and they can grow up to be cultural rich.

Healthy food doesn’t need to be expensive. If you are looking for a quick and easy, healthy, hearty, meatless yet tasty meal without having to burn a hole in your pocket, this dish is just perfect for you.

Other reading reference: Click here

>>>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for lentil and vegetable curry recipe and step-by-step photos…………


curry leaves, lentil, curry, dhal, dal, chappati, food for toddlers, Food For Tots




My Legume Love Affair is created by Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook. This month, MLLA 22nd addition is hosted by Sowjanya of Ruchikacooks. You can participate by submitting an entry before 30 April 2010. Click here for the host line-up.



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52 Comments

  1. anncoo says:

    Mmm…looks very delicious! Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe, already bookmarked it.

  2. Great meal, I think my little toddler would love this, he is into eating curry as well!

  3. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Low Lai Kuan. Low Lai Kuan said: Lentil and vegetable curry – a healthy yet tasty super fast meatless dish! http://bit.ly/dC1ZhE […]

  4. Joanne says:

    I can never get enough of the pumpkin curry combination. I love that you added lentils into the mix. What a lovely dish!

  5. mycookinghut says:

    This is one of my favourites!! I also like this with roti canai.. hehe..

  6. Alice says:

    My family just loved Dhal Curry to bits, especially with roti canai or capati, especially my son…. 😀 Will definitely give this a try! 🙂

  7. sweetlife says:

    what a great dish, my girls would love this, they love pumpkin flavor and the spices are so flavorful..thanks fro sharing

    sweetlife

  8. ruchikacooks says:

    very colorful and healthy. Thanks for the entry!

  9. noobcook says:

    very nice food styling and photography as usual. I love Indian style curry … they are always so flavourful because of the spices!

  10. LCOM says:

    Looks great! I might try it because I love vegetable curry.

  11. Quinn says:

    Is this something we dip into when we eat roti canai? Kinda like Dhal?

    • food-4tots says:

      Quinn: Yeah, you’re right but they may use a different combinationn of ingredients eg, curry powder and chilli powder. Some of the vegetables (pumpkin, lady fingers and cauliflowers) are my personal add-on. 😉

  12. MaryMoh says:

    Wow…love the bright colour. Looks healthy and delicious. I like it.

  13. peanutts says:

    Hi, long time havent checked in, soooooo sorry havent abandoned you hehe, nice curry, love the photoes. have a nice weekend

  14. Beautiful vegan dish with healthy ingredients.

  15. tigerfish says:

    You had me with all the spices you used. I use them so often and I bet you can tell I love homemade Indian food/curries 🙂

    So are lentils and split moong dal the same thing? I bought lentils recently but those were green.

    • food-4tots says:

      Tigerfish: Yes, I can tell that from your posts. I love Indian food too especially Northen Indian. Correct me if I’m wrong. Lentils are not split moong dal. But both fall under the category of legume/ pulse. Some called split moong dal as moong lentils. The ones you bought are called green lentils.

  16. Dora says:

    Have tried something like this before at an Indian food stall. Not bad, quite like it.

  17. Carolyn Jung says:

    I love veg curries. First, the color is always so glorious looking. Second, they’re just packed with such tender, satisfying veggies that are so good for you, too.

  18. Alisa says:

    All your recipes are fantastic, I cant make up my mind which one to try first 🙂 Im going to share your site to my friend who has three little rambunctious angels. I just know she will love this too :)If you wont mind I’d love to guide Foodista readers to this post.Just add the foodista widget to the end of this post and it’s all set, Thanks!

  19. I love lentils, and this dish sounds delicious with the vegetables and spices!

  20. Little Inbox says:

    This is a healthy Indian curry yea? I’m not so well in Indian curry spice. At least I learned a bit today. 🙂

    • food-4tots says:

      Little Inbox: This is a modified version of Indian curry, suitable for toddlers like my son. I’m not an expert too, still a novice in Indian cooking. 😉

  21. Yes, simple yet versatile, also a nice meatless dish which is good for spicing up our appetite, though it is not spicy.

  22. I really love your photography….so magazine, and professional.

  23. felicia says:

    this reminds me of my mother.
    she cooks the most wicked vege curry!
    and its my favourite dish.
    just grab some rice and im good to go! hehe.

  24. […] from Singapore has a wonderful combination of spices, vegetables and lentils in her lentil curry and she shares information about the medicinal aspects of these ingredients […]

  25. Rae F says:

    I’m confused. Lady fingers? The filled cakes? Please unconfuse me.

    • food-4tots says:

      Rae F: These lady fingers are also known as “okra” (not the ones we use in making Tiramisu). You can refer to this post for the photo and more info. Sorry for the confusion. 😉

  26. malini says:

    Hi..yes love ur recipes but my gal is only 13mths..is it applicable to use so much seasonings in her food.Currebtly I only use very little olive oil n unsalted butter in cooking for her..can u advise me on any chicken n fish dishes for her using very little sesonings..

    thk u

    • food-4tots says:

      Malini: Thanks! Glad that you like my recipes. My recipes are suitable for toddlers aged 2 and above. As for your gal, it is best to cook dishes with no seasoning. A little bit of olive oil and salt are fine. I did that for my son too. Use more fresh ingredients to enhance the flavour of your chicken or fish dishes such as tomato, pumpkin, celery etc. You can make her dishes more appealing by playing with colour and shape. Hope it helps. 😉

  27. Menakha says:

    Just a small tip from me.. Instead of lemon juice you can use tamarind.. Soak in water.. And add a lil bit of sambar powder to enhance the taste :))

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