From the pantry: Mung Beans, hulled and split

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From the pantry: Mung Beans, hulled and split

Written by Cassie Young

Thursday, April 3 2008

What are they?
Hulled, split mung beans are mung beans that have been stripped of their outer green coat, cleaned and split. They are small, yellow, quick to cook, taste mild and are said to be relatively easy to digest.

Where to buy
For those in Canada, you're likely to find them in any well-stocked grocery store. I live in northern British Columbia and buy them at a Save-On Foods or Superstore. I see them in each store in small bags in the Asian food aisle labeled as monggo or munggo beans. I also see them in larger bags in the Indian food aisle labeled as moong dal.

How I use split mung beans...

Korean pancakes - The number one reason I stock split mung beans is to make Korean mung bean pancakes.

Soup - I also like to use split mung beans in place of the chana dal called for in an even spicier variation of Susan's deliciously creative southwestern take on split pea soup. The split mung beans can also be added to just about any other soup you like, including my Simple Red Lentil and Tomato Soup.

Dal - Punjabi dal from Quick Indian Cooking is a new favorite split mung bean recipe for us. I made it for the first time last weekend and we both loved it. I actually made the recipe twice in the last week and now need to replenish my stock of split mung beans!

New recipes I'd like to try:

Masoor-Mung Dal with Mushrooms and Greens from Tigers & Strawberries
Mango Moong Dal from Mahanandi

This post is the first in a series in which I will highlight one of my Pantry Staples ingredients with a little info on how I like to use it along with a list of new recipes I'd like to try. If you have a vegan or easily veganized split mung bean recipe you'd like to share, send it along via email and I may add your link to the list.

Courtney said:

I love mung beans...and I cannot wait for your Korean pancake recipe!!

Courtney

April 03, 2008

kathryn said:

Split mung beans are my favourite for dal. I love their flavour when cooked up. Plus Madhur Jaffrey talks about them being the first and last food - the first pulse that North Indian children are weaned onto and probably the last one that's eaten through old age. They're easy to digest, easy to cook and full of wonderful nutrition.

April 05, 2008 | website

CassieYoung said:

Kathryn, I appreciate you adding that wonderful bit of information! I'm glad you mentioned Madhur Jaffrey, too, as I keep forgetting I have her World Vegetarian cookbook. I got it for Christmas (am I the last veg*n to own this?!) and haven't even been through it yet! Mallika's dal was delicious and I loved that it had a minimal list of ingredients but was nice and flavorful and filling, yet felt light. It was a perfect meal, too, to get simmering away while we finished cleaning up after an exhausting day of manual labor here on the house!

April 05, 2008 | website

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