Mustard Mung Beans

Craving a whole mung bean dish to go along with some homemade rotis, I adapted this recipe from my trusty copy of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. The original recipe called for lentils, but I changed it up and in addition to adding more spice, also added some Dijon mustard to compliment the mustard seeds. Served along with basmati rice, this is a most fulfilling meal.

This is my submission to lovely Susan's long running legume event. She is celebrating the 4th year of this most valued source of legume recipes. Such a special friend and a talented lady.

Mustard-Flavored Mung Beans

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 660 Curries Cuisine: Indian Published on July 8, 2011 A dry and flavorful simple mung bean curry seasoned with spices and Dijon mustard Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried whole mung beans 2 tablespoons ghee or a mixture of butter and oil 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 large tomato, finely chopped 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons brown sugar or jaggery generous handful of fresh coriander, chopped Instructions: Rinse the beans and place in a large saucepan. Cover with 3 1/2 cups of water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the ghee or butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until the turn grey and begin to sputter and pop. Add the cumin seeds, stir for a minute, and then add the spices and salt, and stir for another minute. Now add the tomatoes, Dijon mustard, sugar and coriander, and simmer 5 minutes to thicken the curry. Add the tomato and spice blend to the tender mung beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Add more water to reach your desired consistency if necessary. Makes 4 - 6 servings

More mung bean recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Creamy Mung Dal Curry
Mung Beans with Vegetables
Mung Bean Paneer

On the top of the reading stack: The National Post

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules