What is Mung beans?

Nutritional value:

Mung beans are known for their high nutritional value.Mung beans contain about 55%–65% carbohydrates (equivalent to 630 g/kg dry weight), and are rich in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.It consists of approximately 20%–50% of total dry weight proteins, of which globulins (60%) and albumin (25%) are the major storage proteins.Mung beans are considered a great source of dietary protein.The proteolytic cleavage of these proteins was even higher during sprouting.Mung bean carbohydrates are easily digested and cause less flatulence in the body than other forms of legumes. Mung bean seeds and sprouts are lower in calories than other grains, making them more appealing to obese and diabetic patients.

Whole beans and sauces 

Whole-cooked mung beans are usually made from dried beans boiled until soft.After the mung beans are peeled, they are light yellow.Mung bean paste can be made from shelled beans, cooked, and crushed into a dry paste.

South Asia

While whole mung beans are occasionally used in Indian cuisine, they are more commonly eaten without the skin.In the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra,Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, whole mung beans are usually boiled and dried, usually served with porridge. Shelled mung beans can also be used in sweet soups just like whole beans.The mung beans in some regional Indian cuisines are all made of mung beans by peeling off their coats. In Bangladesh and West Bengal, the peeled and split beans are used to make a soup called mug ḍal.In the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, steamed whole beans are flavored with spices and freshly grated coconut.In southern India, especially Andhra Pradesh, batter made from ground whole moon beans (including the skin) is used to make a variety of pancakes called pesarattu or pesara dosa.

East Asia

In southern Chinese cuisine, whole mung beans are used in a syrup or dessert called lǜdòu tángshuǐ, which can be eaten hot or chilled.They are also often cooked into porridge with rice.Unlike South Asia, whole mung beans are rarely found in savory dishes.In Hong Kong, shelled mung beans and mung bean paste are made into ice cream or frozen popsicles.Mung bean paste is used as a common filling for Chinese mooncakes in East China and Taiwan.During the Dragon Boat Festival, boiled and shelled beans are used as fillings for ready-to-eat rice dumplings.The beans can also be boiled until softened, mixed into a liquid, sweetened, and eaten as a beverage, popular in many parts of China.In southern China and Vietnam, mung bean paste is mixed with sugar, fat, fruit, or spices to make pastries, such as bánh đậu xanh.In Korea, peeled mung beans are soaked in water and ground into a thick paste.This is used as the base for a Korean pancake called bindae-tteok. They are also commonly used in Hobak-tteok.

Southeast Asia

In the Philippines, ginisáng monggó/mónggo (fried mung bean stew), also known as monggó/mónggo guisado or balatong, is a delicious whole mung bean stew with shrimp or fish.It is traditionally served on Friday of Lent, when most Catholic Filipinos traditionally do not eat meat.Variations of ginisáng monggó/mónggo can also be made with chicken or pork.Mung beans are also used in the Filipino dessert ginataang munggo (also known as balatong), which is a rice porridge made with coconut milk and sugar and flavored with pandan leaves or vanilla.

Mung bean paste is also a common pastry filling, known as bakpia in Indonesia, hopia in the Philippines, and further afield, "black eye cake" in Guyana. It is also used as a filling for the Filipino bread pan de monggo.In Indonesia, mung beans are also made into a popular dessert snack called es kacang hijau, which has the same consistency as porridge.The beans are cooked with sugar, coconut milk and a little ginger.

Middle East

The staple foods in parts of the Middle East are mung beans and rice.Both are cooked together in a pilaf-like rice called māš wa-ruzz, which means green beans and rice.

Bean sprouts

Mung beans are germinated by placing them in water with light for four hours during the day and spending the remainder of the day in darkness.Mung bean sprouts can be grown under artificial light for four hours in a week.They are often simply called "sprouts." However, bean sprouts mentioned in recipes generally refer to mung bean sprouts or soybean sprouts.Mung bean sprouts are served as a Chinese-style vegetable accompaniment, often stir-fried with garlic, ginger, spring onions or dried salted fish for extra flavor. Uncooked bean sprouts are used in fillings for Vietnamese spring rolls, and as a side dish for phở.They are a staple ingredient in a variety of Malaysian and Peranakan cuisines, including char kway teow, hokkien mee, mee rebus and pasembor.

In Korea, lightly cooked mung bean sprouts, called sukjunamul (Korean: 숙주나물), are often served as a side dish.Blanch them (in boiling water for less than a minute), immediately cool in cold water and mix with sesame oil, garlic, salt and other ingredients.In the Philippines, mung bean sprouts are known as togue and are most commonly served in lumpia rolls called lumpiang togue.In India, mung bean sprouts are cooked with green chillies, garlic and other spices.In Indonesia, this food is often used as a filling such as tahu isi (yong tofu) and as a secondary ingredient in many dishes such as rawon and soto.In Japan, bean sprouts are called moyashi.