Sprouted Mung Salad

This is a very simple, nutritious, and delicious sprouted mung bean salad that goes by the name of Moong Usal in certain parts of India. Mung beans are super tasty and good for you. Not to mention versatile. You can pile them into a sandwich, cook them into a curry, turn them into an eggless omelet, or just saute them a little, add a dash of salt and pepper, squeeze on some lemon, and you’ve got a dish to die for. Try out this mung bean salad –– you’ll love it!

Sprouted Mung Salad [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry mung beans or moong, sprouted (see Recipe Notes)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 2 green chillies, slit through the middle
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala (use goda masala if you have this)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or kadhai or saucepan
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions start to turn golden-brown.
3. Add the garlic and green chillies and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander and cumin powders and cook until the tomato starts to break down but isn’t quite mushy.
5. Add the sprouted mung beans and mix well. Cover and let the beans cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir every once in a while and, if needed, add a couple of tablespoons of water to prevent sticking. You can let the beans cook longer if you want them to be softer. I like mine a little al dente with some crunch to them.
6. Add salt to taste, sugar and the lemon juice. Mix in the coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot.

Notes

Measure the beans, pick over them for any stones, then wash them thoroughly by placing them in a colander and rinsing in cold water. –Place the beans in a container and cover with three inches of water. Set aside for eight hours or overnight. –After the beans have soaked overnight or for 8 hours, strain them in the colander, preferably one large enough to hold the beans. Rinse the beans under cold, running water. –Cover the colander with a kitchen towel and set aside. Twice a day, rinse the legumes, let the water run out, and then set them aside again, covered with the kitchen towel. –After a day, you should see tiny little white shoots developing. I usually let my beans sit another day, continuing to rinse and drain, until the shoots are a little bigger. And that’s it, really. You don’t need any fancy equipment to sprout beans. You don’t even need a large colander if you don’t have one– just make sure that you drain out all the water from the container every time you rinse the beans. Easy peasy. Sprouting beans is an exercise worth the small amount of work because it makes an already healthy superfood even healthier – imagine that! The quantities of proteins, vitamins, and minerals in legumes soar when they are sprouted, and even better, the legume becomes more easily digestible. Now why would you argue with that? Once you have your sprouted beans all set to go, my Moong Usal comes together in minutes with a minimal number of ingredients that you should already have in your pantry. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/the-ultimate-clean-food-sprouted-mung-salad/