Why Mung beans?

[ivana]

Mung Beans

Mung (moong) beans are small, cylindrical beans with a bright green skin. In ayurvedic cooking, they are used whole or, more commonly, split and hulled. Split and hulled mung beans are small and yellow and called mung (moong) dhal in India. These beans don't need pre-soaking and are a snap to cook to butter-soft consistency if you have a pressure cooker. They can also be cooked in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Sort beans and wash thoroughly before you cook them.

Mung beans are one of the most cherished foods in ayurveda. They are tridoshic--they can be eaten to balance all three doshas, especially when cooked with spices appropriate for each dosha. They are very nourishing, while being relatively easy to digest--they do not generally create abdominal gas or bloating, the drawbacks of larger beans. Persons recuperating are often recommended kichadi because of their ability to provide a good level of nourishment without overtaxing the digestion. They offer the astringent taste.

According to modern nutrition, mung beans offer 14 gms of protein per cooked cup. Mung beans are also a good source of dietary fiber. They also contain thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper, and are a good source of folate.

Mung beans can be eaten on their own, or combined with rice to make khichari, or combined with vegetables and greens to make hearty soups or ground into flour to be used to make crepes or added to breads. Turmeric, cumin, dried ginger and coriander are some spices that work very well with mung beans.

Mung beans are available at Indian groceries or health food stores.
ivana

[Tiggerwoos]

I'd vouch for that.... They are delicious and they're so cheap also. My naturopath advised me to eat them as they are an excellent heavy metal chelator also so thats an added benefit. You can also buy the sprouted version you can eat raw in salads which are scrummy or grow them yourself, which is supposedly simple, although when I grew them they grew fluffy bits from each bean........ obviously I will never make a gardener...... LOL! Other ones to try in the spouted raw version are adunki beans and broccoli sprouts.

[ivana]

LOL.. I'm still learning myself sprouting. Here how I do it:

How to sprout mung beans at home

Materials: 1/2 cup whole mung beans, several sturdy paper towels, twine, a fine sieve, a pot with a lid (the beans will expand to about 3 times during the sprouting process so choose pot size accordingly).

Step 1. Sort through the beans and pick out any small stones or other foreign material.

Step 2. Place the beans in the sieve and rinse thoroughly.

Step 3 . Soak the beans in warm water for 8-10 hours, and then drain thoroughly.

Step 4. Place the drained beans in the center of a couple of the paper towels.

Step 5. Lift up the edges and tie together with twine.

Step 6. Place the wrapped beans in the pot and cover.

Step 7. Place the pot in a warm dark spot for 24 hours.

Step 8 . Check the sprouts after 24 hours. If you want them longer, place the beans in the sieve and gently rinse them, then repeat steps 4 through 7.

Note: For ayurvedic cooking, sprouts about an inch long are best. When the sprouts are rinsed before cooking, most of the green skins wash away. It's fine if a few are left behind.

If someone knows any tips, please share them with us

[Tiggerwoos]

Thanks Ivana for the advice about sprouting. I will give that a go! Watch this space for more sprouting disasters....... LOL!