Mung Beans

Also known asGreen Gram · Moong · Mung · Vigna radiata · 绿豆

Name: Mung beans, also called green gram or moong (Vigna radiata) — small, round, olive-green beans with a mild, slightly sweet, earthy flavour. They are used whole, split (as moong dal), sprouted and ground into starch and noodles.

Description

Mung beans are native to India, where they were domesticated more than 4,000 years ago, and are now a staple pulse across South, East and Southeast Asia. Whole mung beans are cooked in soups and sweets, and ground into flour, while the starch is made into glass noodles (fensi).

They cook faster than most beans, with no need for soaking, and are easier to digest. Mung beans are a key ingredient in Indian khichdi, Chinese green bean soup and the sweet Vietnamese dessert chè đậu xanh, and are sprouted into the bean sprouts used in stir-fries.

Main nutrition value

Mung beans are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provide folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese, with little fat.

How best to be consumed

Mung beans cook quickly, and are versatile.

1. Simmer whole beans for 30 to 45 minutes without soaking, or soak briefly to speed up.
2. Cook into soups, stews, dals, khichdi and sweet dessert soups.
3. Sprout in a jar for crunchy bean sprouts, then cook them.
4. Grind into flour for pancakes, such as Korean bindaetteok and Indian cheela.
5. Buy whole green, split yellow (moong dal) or skinned types.

Overconsumption could cause…

Mung beans are healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in beans, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
3. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried beans, which soaking, sprouting and thorough cooking reduce.
4. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes.
5. Food poisoning from raw sprouts, which carry a risk of bacteria, so cook them.

GroupsBeansLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateRich in ironRich in magnesiumRich in potassium

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Wikipedia — Mung bean, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mung_bean