Mung Bean Curry

It’s mung bean curry time! Fetch that bag of mung beans. Gather a few Indian spices, grab a can of tomatoes and another of coconut milk, mice some ginger and garlic, and don’t bite into the red chili. Save it for this flavorful vegan curry.  

Oh my goodness, if you don’t have a bag of mung beans in the house, go buy them. I insist. And I promise you won’t regret it.

After all the curries I’ve made, you know the kidney bean, the cauliflower, the spinach, the chickpea, the kitchen sink curry (just kidding), there’s a new curry in town. And it’s a great one!

There are a few of the usual suspects like garlic, ginger, and chili. And of course, a few of our favorite curry spices like turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, and cumin seeds. I got so excited, I even toasted up a few black mustard seeds. Fancy, I know.

What’s different from all my other curries are those mung beans. Not the split kind, mind you, but those little dark green mung beans.

If you aren’t familiar with mung beans as little whole beans (they are a bit new to the U.S.), it's time to expand your horizons. Besides, you've probably eating bean sprouts, right? These are them pre-sprouting.

These little powerhouses have been around for thousands of years in India as a part of the Ayurvedic diet. They are so magical that they’ve even been considered a traditional medicine since 1500 – B.C.

Are mung beans the same as lentils?

Short answer, nope. Mung beans aren’t even beans. They are technically seeds that grow in a pod, so we now call them a legume. That puts them in the legume family of chickpeas, lentils, and beans, with differences. 

It kind of reminds me of when we stopped calling Pluto a planet. Some of us old folks still call it a planet, but that isn't technically correct. And just like Pluto, it doesn’t really matter because they still hold their place in the world – the perfect ingredient for this yummy curry recipe. 

What’s so great about mung beans? 

Healthy, healthy, healthy! They are flush with nutrition. They’re exploding with iron, copper, potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, and vitamin B6.

Another bonus. If you find beans challenging to digest, grab the mung bean tram. They won’t make you explode after eating them. And you don’t even need to soak mung beans, unlike its cousins such as the black bean or chickpea. Think mung when you think house quests.

And here’s the recipe to keep them asking for more.

Let's cook it!

When you say curry, I say layers of flavor. So, let’s build us some.

Start by announcing you are making yummy curry. I mean, start by toasting the cumin and black mustard seeds. Use the same heavy-bottomed pot you’ll use for the curry. Toast the seeds for about 1 minute. Keep them moving so that they don’t burn. You’ll start smelling them. That’s the curry announcement.

Don’t linger once the spices are toasted. Add the garlic, ginger, and a sliced or chopped red chili. Yes, a jalapeno will do the trick. And no, the garlic is NOT a misprint – 9 (nine) cloves. This is why you need a garlic press, my cooking friend. Or some slamming music to keep you mincing. Either will work.

We're now building layer 3. It's precisely (more or less) 2 minutes after we added the last layer. You’ve already got the first 2 spices in there, now add the rest. So dole out the coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt. You can omit the salt until the end if you want full salt control. Add the tomatoes at the same time.

We want our tomatoes to break down, so use crushed tomatoes, or if you are me, use canned cherry tomatoes and crush them with the back of a spoon. If all you have are whole tomatoes, no problem. Dice them up or give them a quick spin with your immersion blender. Don’t discard any juice. We want it all.

Now give all that a mix and let it cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pot to pick everything up. We’re off and running now. Add the water (5 cups), add the rinsed mung beans. In 30 – 40 minutes, you’ll have tender mung beans. And then, like it could get better, it can. We’re adding a can of coconut milk, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Yes, you can omit the cilantro. It’s true, it tastes like soap to some people. This curry is far too good to risk that. When in doubt, serve cilantro as a garnish at the table. 

Got questions? Here are a few answers

What do I serve with my most awesome curry? We like serving this curry over rice, but you can also go all uber nutrition and use quinoa. If I can be so bold, try a few potato flatbreads or go cross country and serve it with pita bread.

What if I don’t use coconut milk? I get it. Coconut milk is somewhat high in fat. Use a cup of plant milk and add ¼ - ½ tsp. of coconut extract (you’ll need to test this for yourself). That’s my skinny fix.

Can I go green? Yes indeed! Add chopped spinach after you add the coconut milk. If you use chopped kale, add it a bit earlier to allow it to soften up.

Can you freeze this curry? Seriously? You have leftovers? Yep, it’s a dream to freeze. Try making this ahead and put your name on it if you take it out of the house.

How long does it keep in the fridge? My rule is 4 - 5 days. I’ve never kept it that long, but that’s the cooked legume rule. Keep it in a sealed container. It’s the safest practice not to store it with the rice. 

I can hear you now, yes, there are split mung beans (moong dal) out there. I’ll be upfront. I’ve not tested them with this recipe, and I don’t believe the texture or consistency of the curry would be quite the same. Not that it wouldn’t be tasty. Just different. If you want a substitute for mung beans (and you don’t, really), try pigeon peas or snow peas.

Final thoughts

Trying a new curry recipe always makes my world brighter. Cooking and ingredient that isn’t often in the front of my mind, like that far away Pluto non-planet, gives it an exotic appeal. Maybe my gushing is leaning to the extreme, but just writing about my new beloved mung bean curry kind of makes me happy. Well, that deserves another batch for sure. Peace. 

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