Health food - Mung beans

Dear audience,

do you recognize these little things?  

No, they are not your assortment of vitamin pills
after breakfast! But they are a real natural powerhouse, which provides a full blast of vegetable
protein.  

Mung beans (in Asian countries also referred to as Green or Golden Gram) are part of the legume family. They were domesticated first in India, where findings date back as long as 4500 years. From there they spread direction Thailand about over 2000 years ago and finally found their way down to Africa as well.


Nutritional content:

Mung beans are rich in the following nutrients:

• protein
• vitamin C
• folic acid or folate
• iron
• zinc
• potassium
• magnesium

• copper
• manganese
• phosphorus
• thiamine

Mung beans are also high in fibre, low in saturated fat, low in sodium, and contain no cholesterol.  Because of the wide range of nutrients contained in mung beans, they offer a whole host of health benefits for the immune system, the metabolism, the heart and other organs, cell growth, protection against free radicals, and diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Mung beans can be cooked, sprouted if you're a fan of sprouting (this procedure will release the huge amount of Vitamin C in the beans!) or ground to be used as flour.

Following a few recipes to give you an idea what to do with those powerful little pearls:

Mung Bean Soup

Serves: 3

Cooking time: 15 min

Serve hot with some rice

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup mung beans 
-onion to your likings (chopped)
-2 garlic cloves (minced)
-1 ripe tomatoe (diced)
-if you're a meat freak add some beef or pork (chopped into bite sizes)
-2 tbsp high quality vegetable oil
-500ml vegetable or beef stock
-season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a pot cover the mung beans with water and boil until tender. Add water if necessary. Set aside. In a different pot heat vegetable oil and addd garlic and onion. Add tomato once garlic is lightly brown and onion is transparent.
Once tomato is cooked, add meat. Season with a little salt and pepper.
When meat is golden brown add the mung beans. Add the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Mung Bean/Herb Spread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mung dhal
2 tbsp almond butter or tahini
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil 1 tbsp extra vergine olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Rock salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
Fresh-cracked black pepper to taste or large pinch sweet paprika
1-2 tbsps water if needed

 Add one medium clove garlic crushed if you like.

Heat a skillet and dry-roast the mung dhal until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Stir constantly to toast all sides and prevent burning. Grind to a coarse flour in a spice or seed mill. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a smooth, spreadable paste, adjusting the water as necessary. Tastes excellent on crisp toast or crackers, on flat bread wedges or as a dip for vegetables.


Add this super healthy food to many dishes to get a high quality vegetable protein!