Green Gram (Moong Dal)
Vigna radiata
📖 About this plant
Green Gram (Vigna radiata), known as moong dal in Hindi, pasi payaru in Tamil, and mung bean in English, is an important annual pulse crop in the Fabaceae (legume) family, prized for its small bright green seeds. Native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, green gram has been cultivated in India for over 4,000 years and is one of Indias most important and widely-grown pulse crops. India is the worlds largest producer of green gram (about 60% of global supply), with major cultivation in Rajasthan (the largest producer), Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The plant is a small bushy or semi-climbing annual, 30-90 cm tall, with trifoliate hairy leaves, small pale yellow-green pea-like flowers, and long (5-10 cm) cylindrical pods containing 10-15 small bright green seeds. The seeds are the part eaten — small (3-4 mm) round bright green beans. They can be eaten whole (with skin) as “sabut moong” — used in sprouts, curries, and the famous Punjabi “moong dal sabut” cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices. Or they can be split (skin removed) as “moong dal dhuli” — the familiar yellow split lentil that is one of the most easily digested dals in Indian cuisine, used in everyday dal tadka, khichdi (the comforting rice-lentil porridge), payasam (the South Indian kheer), halwa (the famous moong dal halwa — a rich winter dessert with ghee, sugar, and nuts), and pakoras (savory fritters). Green gram is also sprouted and eaten raw in salads, sandwiches, and the famous Indian street food snacks (moong sprout chaat). Nutritionally, green gram is exceptionally rich in plant protein (about 24%), dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins (especially folate), and antioxidants. It is also easy to digest — making it the recommended first dal for infants, the elderly, and the sick (in Ayurvedic practice, moong dal is considered the most easily digested dal and is the basis of the famous “moong dal water” given to babies and the sick). In Ayurvedic medicine, green gram is considered cooling, light, and tridoshic (suitable for all doshas) — recommended for detoxification, weight loss, and as a weaning food.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun
Regular; reduce before harvest
Moderate (50-70%)
20-35°C
Well-draining loam; pH 6.0-7.5
Inoculate with rhizobium; low-N, phosphorus/potassium
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
- 📏 Max height
- 30-90 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 30-45 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer; small yellow-green pea-like flowers
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pale yellow-green
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Trifoliate bright green leaves (slightly hairy)
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual (1 season)
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast — harvest in 60-75 days
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic; safe for humans and pets
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds (direct sow)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic; safe for humans and pets
Common issues
- Mung bean yellow mosaic virus (most serious — transmitted by whiteflies), Cercospora leaf spot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, root rot, nematodes, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, jassids, pod borer, bruchid beetles (storage pest)
💡 Care tips
- Direct sow seeds 2-3 cm deep, 10-15 cm apart, in rows 30-45 cm apart, after soil has warmed to 25°C. In India, sow with the monsoon (June-July for kharif crop) or in early spring (February-March for spring/summer crop). Inoculate seeds with rhizobium bacteria before planting to boost nitrogen fixation. Plant in full sun in well-draining, moderately fertile loam enriched with compost. Green gram tolerates a wide pH range (6.0-7.5) but does NOT tolerate waterlogging (root rot). Water sparingly — green gram is somewhat drought-tolerant. Water during germination and flowering if rainfall is inadequate; otherwise rely on monsoon. Stop watering when pods turn black/brown and dry. Do NOT apply high nitrogen — green gram fixes its own nitrogen. Apply phosphorus and potassium at planting. The plant grows rapidly — flowers 30-40 days after sowing, pods mature 50-70 days after sowing. Green gram has an indeterminate growth habit (pods mature over several weeks) — harvest when 70-80% of pods are dry (black/brown) and seeds rattle inside. Pull entire plants and dry in the sun for 3-5 days, then thresh to release seeds. Winnow to remove chaff. Dry grain to 12% moisture before storage. Store in airtight containers — add dried neem leaves to prevent bruchid beetle infestation. Save seeds for next year — they remain viable for 1-2 years. Green gram is a great cover crop and green manure — fixes 50-80 kg/ha of nitrogen in 60 days. Popular Indian varieties include Pusa Vishal, SML-668, IPM-2-3 (Samrat), CO-6, RMG-267, and Pant Moong-5. For sprouting: soak whole moong (with skin) in water for 8-12 hours, drain, then rinse and drain twice daily for 2-3 days until sprouts are 1-2 cm long. Eat raw in salads, lightly steamed, or in stir-fries.
