Mung beans are small cylindrical beans with a green skin and yellow insides. They are eaten whole, split with skins on, split and hulled, or sprouted. They are used extensively in both Asian and Indian cuisine.

In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, the mung bean is considered highly valuable because it is very nutritious and delivers sustenance while being easier on the digestion than most other beans. When cooked to butter-soft consistency and combined with digestion-enhancing herbs and spices, mung beans can be eaten even by those with weak digestion.

Older beans take longer to cook and produce more flatulence.  If you buy mung bean sprouts, look for fresh, crisp sprouts without brown stains or marks. Prepare and eat the mung bean sprouts as soon as you can after purchase, definitely the same day. You can also sprout mung beans at home.

Cooking OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Dry beans should be washed thoroughly in several changes of water before use. Discard any that float on top of the water.  Whole mung beans can be cooked both without soaking and after soaking. They can be cooked in a pressure cooker, in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. If cooking on the stovetop, foam that builds at the top can be skimmed off and discarded. Dhals generally have the best flavor when they are slow-cooked for a long time.

Cook mung beans with lots of herbs and spices. Fresh ginger, basil, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, curry, tarragon, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and spices such as turmeric, cayenne, cumin, coriander, garam masala, black pepper and bay leaf go wonderfully with mung beans.

§    Mung beans can be cooked to a soupy texture with lots of water and spices. Stews and soups that combine mung beans with a wide variety of greens and vegetables and grains such as barley are also common.

§     Mung dhal flour can be combined with whole wheat flour to make fresh flatbreads on a griddle.

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SPICY MUNG BEAN SOUP OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO This recipe comes from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook, by Steve Petusevsky

• 1 cup dried mung beans, washed and rinsed

• 5 cups cold water or vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 or 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• A 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 or 3 serrano peppers, very thinly sliced (do not remove the seeds)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 medium or 1 large organic chicken breast (optional)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• sea salt or celery salt to taste
• juice of 1 lemon

Place the mung beans in a pot with the 5 cups of cold water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are tender.  (Do not boil.  Just a gentle simmer.) 

In a separate bowl, combine the turmeric, cumin, curry powder, and garam masala and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onions until soft.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, tomatoes, and the ginger.  Sauté for a minute or so.

Add the combined spices and the sliced serrano pepper and sauté for another minute.  Next add the beans and their cooking liquid to the pot with the vegetables and spices.  Add the coconut milk and the chicken breast, if using.  You might need to add another cup or two of water, if the soup seems a little thick.  Simmer the soup uncovered for 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken breast from the soup and let cool for a little bit before shredding.  Add the chicken back to the soup.

Stir in the cilantro, season with salt and pepper and serve with a wedge of lemon.