Padengi Usli – A simple, nourishing Mangalorean green moong breakfast that carries the warmth of home and generations of memories.
Jump to
About the recipe
Some recipes don’t disappear — they simply wait quietly in our memories. This humble green moong breakfast (Padengi Usli) is one such dish. Once a regular in many Mangalorean homes, it was simple, nourishing, and deeply comforting. Over the years, as packaged cereals and quick fixes entered our kitchens, dishes like this slowly moved to the background. Yet, judging by the stories and memories people share even today, this recipe has never really been forgotten.
For me, making this again after many years felt like reopening an old notebook — familiar, comforting, and full of warmth. Many people know it by different names — Padengi, Mooga Usli, or Moong Upkari — and every household has its own way of preparing and serving it.
Why This Dish Is Special
- Made with whole green moong, a powerhouse of plant protein
- Naturally simple, nutritious, and filling
- Easily adaptable — savoury or sweet versions, with or without onion
How is this traditionally served
This Padengi Usli is enjoyed on its own as a warm breakfast bowl or With thin poha mixed with coconut and jaggery
A Note on Nutrition
This dish is a beautiful example of traditional wisdom:
- Green moong provides protein, fibre, and minerals
- Coconut adds healthy fats
- Jaggery offers iron and natural sweetness
- Lightly spiced and easy to digest
No wonder it kept people full and energised for long mornings.
Recipe
Padengi Usli | Moong Upkari | Mooga Usli
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup green moong
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp udad dal
- few curry leaves
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 green chilly, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 tsp jaggery powder
- ½ cup freshly grated coconut
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and soak green moong overnight.
- In the morning, drain the water.
- Steam or boil the moong.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds, udad dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, green chilly and onion.
- Saute on low heat till onion turns soft.
- Add cooked moong and salt. Mix well.
- Next, add jaggery powderand freshly grated coconut.
- Mix well. Serve hot.
Recipe Video
Thank you for stopping by. If you like/ tried this recipe, leaving a comment below the post will enable more readers and cooking enthusiasts to discover these recipes. Also, if you are on Instagram, do share a picture of the dish and tag @vanitascorner to be featured in my stories.
Do follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Subscribe to my youtube channel for easy video recipes.
Happy Cooking!!
