Mung Beans with Mixed Vegetables

Legumes are an essential component of a healthy vegetarian diet. Indeed, legumes are packed full of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins making them a positive benefit to any diet. Inexpensive, with a long shelf life, easily digestible if prepared properly, filling and simply delicious and inspiring, meat eaters and tofu addicts would do their body well with a little concentration and substitution.

One of my favorite beans is the versatile oval-shaped whole green mung bean. Particularly easy to digest, especially when soaked overnight, cooked along with some spices, this mildly sweet little legume can easily be transformed into an entree that will quell thoughts of a decadent dessert.

I highly recommend using fresh peas for this recipe, but do take care to make sure the pods you purchase actually contain decent sized peas. I spent roughly fifteen minutes shelling a pound of pods that yielded a scant 1/4 cup. Usually my sweetie brings home a highly prized bounty for the larder, but even the most seasoned of shoppers can be distracted by appearances and the dictates of the grocery list.

Frozen peas can be substituted for the fresh ones. Add them near the end of the cooking time so they retain their plumpness.

While we are talking legumes, do note Susan's ongoing My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event celebrating the goodness of the bean harvest, hosted this month by Annarasa. Consider this my submission for June.

Served with Lemon Brown Rice.

Mung Beans with Vegetables

1 cup of whole mung beans
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 cup of fresh peas
3 1/2 cups of water
1 tablespoon of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 inch piece of ginger, shredded or finely chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of fenugreek leaves (methi)
2 - 3 hot green chilies, chopped
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
juice from one small lemon
sea salt to taste

Soak the mung beans in enough water to cover overnight. Drain, transfer to a large pot along with 3 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped carrot, fresh peas and potato to the mung beans. Stir, cover and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the mung beans are soft - roughly 15 minutes.

Heat the ghee or butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the fennel seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to pop. Now add the ginger, chilies, fenugreek leaves, cayenne, turmeric, coriander, and asafetida. Stir-fry for another minute or two. Transfer this mixture to the mung beans and vegetables, along with the lemon juice and salt. Continue to cook for another five minutes so the flavours can blend.

Serves 4.

More mung bean dishes from my vegetarian kitchen:
Moong Dal
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Mung Bean and Coconut Soup
Mung Beans with Paneer Cheese