Mung Bean And Coconut Soup/Curry

Hello dear food lovers!  Here I am with a new blog post finally!  I am so excited to be back to blogging again.  The ‘little’ break that I took from blogging did end up extending to… uuuuuummm… around 4 years!  Initially, it was simply lack of time that made me put my blog on pause.  But I must admit, the rest was just lack of motivation to write, procrastination and so on… I could list a lot of excuses…

A lot has changed in the blogging world during the last few years and trying to find my way back in is quite challenging.  Writing this post did take me quite some time.  But what a better way to get back than to share a new recipe?!..

Have you tried these small green legumes known as mung beans or green gram?  I had eaten these beans in the form of sweet mung bean fritters called ‘gato zamberique’ in Mauritius; but I never tried to cook these before I came across this recipe on The Muffin Myth.  Being a beginner in bean cuisine, I was not quite convinced about what the outcome would be.  Now it has become one of my favourite recipes and it’s definitely worth sharing for my come-back in the blogging world.

This mung bean and coconut soup is not only delicious and comforting, but it’s packed with vitamins and minerals.  And I love the fact that mung beans cook quickly without any pre-soaking unlike many other legumes.  So they are just perfect for a quick weekday meal!

INGREDIENTS :

• 3-4 tbs oil
  
• 1 tbs whole cumin seeds
• 9 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes (or 1 can crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tbs grated ginger
• 2 tbs ground coriander (optional)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup mung beans (rinsed)
• 1 can coconut milk (400ml)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp thyme (optional)

METHOD :

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute until they just begin to darken.
• Add the crushed garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes until browned, taking care not to let them burn.
• Add the tomatoes (blended with little bit of water) and stir to combine.  Then add the ginger, ground coriander, thyme, turmeric, salt and paprika.
• Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Next add the water and mung beans.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the mung beans are cooked.  I usually use my pressure cooker; so they are done in 15-20 minutes.
• Taste the mung beans to make sure they are cooked before stirring in the coconut milk.  Cook for a couple of minutes more and then turn off the heat.

• Stir in the chopped cilantro and juice of 1 lemon.
• Serve hot.

Add in more water according to your taste.  I usually prefer having it as a soup but it can be served as a curry as well over rice or with naan bread.  Left overs can even be frozen for later!