Curried Mung Bean

Have you ever cooked with mung bean before? Mung sounds like dung, not very appetizing  right? (Well they are also called moong beans or green grams.) Mung beans are native to India, but are commonly used in dishes all throughout Asia. They can sometimes be a little bit trickier to find, I found mine at a local Afrian market of all places. Don't be scared. Yes its unusual, yes, its green, but yes, its delicious. 

I used our mung bean to make a curried soup. This is delicious served over rice like you would see served somewhere in India or Asia. Its savory and filling, and like most recipes found here, a great divergent away from a typical week night meal. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups dried mung beans
2 1/2 tablespoons beef bouillon 
7 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion
2 garlic gloves
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
1 cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper as needed

Directions: 
In a large pot bring your bouillon and water to a boil, add your beans and boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer covered for another 40 minutes. You want your beans to be soft to the taste and the consistency of bean vs liquid to resemble a thick soup, almost a paste. Mash just a bit with a potato masher to break up the liquid into more of a paste. Dice your onions and mince your garlic. In a separate pan heat your oil, add your onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Add your curry and ginger. Cook on medium heat until onions soften and are translucent. Add your onion mixture to the bean mixture. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, then add your coconut milk. Mix together and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over 

Think of this as an eastern version of a lentil soup. I was delightfully surprised at how delicious this dish was and I will happily add it into our regular rotation. Even my 2 year old asked for a second helping, and we all know how hard it can be to get a toddler to eat. It manages to be a satisfying vegetarian dish with hints of sweetness, and full bodied flavor. Give it a try, you won't regret it. Mung, dung, wrung, lung, sung. 

Enjoy!