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• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Prepare cooked and dried mung beans
• Method 2 of 4: Using a slow cooker
• Method 3 of 4: Eat sprouted mung beans
• Method 4 of 4: Prepare dishes with mung beans

Mung beans are delicious and versatile beans that can be used in almost any savory dish. Sprout the mung beans to make a fresh, crunchy treat or cook them to make a hearty stew. The sprouts of mung beans, also called bean sprouts, can be used in sandwiches, salads, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Boiled mung beans can be seasoned and eaten as a stew, added to curries, and used as a substitute for other beans in bean dishes.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Prepare cooked and dried mung beans

1. Sort the beans. Slowly pour the beans into a large bowl. Watch the beans carefully while pouring. Sometimes a bag of dried beans can contain small stones and other inedible dirt particles.
   • Get rid of other suspicious looking beans too. Old, wrinkled beans do not soften properly and can damage your teeth.
2. Bring some water to a boil. Place a large saucepan on the stove. Add about 700 ml of fresh water to the pan and heat the water over a high heat until it boils.
   • Always cook with cold tap water. Hot tap water can dissolve pollutants in the water supply and end up in your food.
   • Add the salt. Yes, it is really necessary. Contrary to popular belief, the skins of the beans only temporarily become tough due to the salt. The salt actually makes the beans cook faster and season them more evenly.
3. Add the dried beans to the water. Add 200 grams of dried mung beans to the boiling water. Stir the beans well into the water so that they get soaked. Don't worry if some beans are floating on the water surface. When these beans have absorbed enough water, they will sink to the bottom.
   • Use more water if you want to cook more than 200 grams of beans. Boil 700 ml of water for every 200 grams of beans you want to prepare.
   • With 200 grams of dried mung beans you get 600 grams of cooked beans, or about three servings.
4. Simmer the beans for 30-40 minutes. After you put the beans in the pan, wait for the water to boil again. Then turn the heat down to medium-low heat. Let the beans simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until soft. To check if the beans are cooked, remove a small spoonful of the beans from the pan, let them cool, and taste them.
   • You will see small amounts of bubbles forming in a pan of soft boiling water. If the liquid bubbles too much on the surface, lower the heat.
5. Season and serve the beans. You can mix the soft beans to serve them as a hearty stew, drain them to make a healthy side dish, or add them to your favorite savory dish. Mung beans can be seasoned with:
   • Raw flavorings such as green onions and fresh herbs
   • Salt, pepper and olive oil
   • Coconut milk
   • A spice mixture of coriander, cumin and ginger

Method 2 of 4: Using a slow cooker

1. Sort the beans in the slow cooker. Slowly pour the beans into the slow cooker and watch them carefully. If you find stones or unusually hard beans, take them out and throw them away. Otherwise you can damage your teeth while eating.
   • When in doubt, discard the bean. For example, if you are unsure whether a bean is too old to eat, err on the side of caution and throw it away.
2. Add cooking water. Per 200 grams of beans you need about 700 ml of moisture and a teaspoon of salt (it is not true that salt makes the beans tough). You can use fresh water, vegetable stock, or meat stock. If you are using stock, you can add less salt. However, make sure not to overfill the slow cooker.
   • Most slow cookers have a fill line on the inside. If yours doesn't, fill your slow cooker halfway.
3. Put herbs in the slow cooker. Place herbs and spices such as onions, garlic and bay leaves in the slow cooker. Other delicious seasonings are:
   • Butter
   • Curry powder
   • Shallots
   • Ginger
4. Boil the beans. Put the lid on your slow cooker and turn it on. You can use the low setting to cook the beans for 6.5 hours to give them a creamy texture that resembles soup. Another option is to cook the beans on a high setting for three hours to make a thinner bean dish.
   • After an hour, check the beans from time to time to see how cooked they are. The beans are done when they are soft and flavorful.
5. Season and serve the beans. Season the beans with salt and pepper to taste. After seasoning, serve the beans immediately. You can add extra cooking water to make vegetable soup on a bed of rice. You can also serve the beans as a healthy side dish.
   • The remaining beans can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Method 3 of 4: Eat sprouted mung beans

1. Pour the dry mung beans into a large bowl. Very slowly pour the beans into the bowl and watch them carefully. This way you can see whether there are stones and other dirt particles between the beans.
   • If a bean looks suspicious, err on the side of caution and throw it away.
2. Pour water over the beans. Use 500-700 ml of water per 200 grams of beans. Pour the water over the beans. Don't worry if beans come up. They sink to the bottom when they have absorbed enough water.
   • Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film to protect the beans from dirt.
3. Let the beans soak for 24 hours. Place the bowl of mung beans in a cool, dark place for at least 24 hours. This allows the beans to absorb the water and start to germinate. Choose a quiet place where you don't run the risk of someone knocking over the beans. Some good places to put the beans are:
   • A corner in a pantry
   • Under the sink
   • In an unused cupboard
4. Drain the water and cover the beans. After 24 hours, pour the water out of the bowl with the beans. You can pour everything into a colander or gently tilt the bowl over the sink. Then cover the bowl with a piece of cheesecloth, gauze or a thin tea towel. The beans are thus protected and still exposed to the air.
   • Return the beans to their cool, dark place to germinate.
   • You can buy cheesecloth at cooking stores, cheese dairies, fabric stores and on the internet.
5. Watch the beans. When 24 to 48 hours have passed, examine the beans to see if they are ready to be eaten. Germinated beans have a small white tail and the bean is split in half. If you want sprouts with a longer tail, let the beans sit for a few more hours to sprout.
   • Do not allow the beans to germinate for more than a few days or they will absorb water and become tasteless.
6. Serve the beans. First, rinse the sprouted beans under a cold tap to remove all dirt and residue. Let the beans dry for a few minutes on a plate with a paper towel on top. Serve the beans immediately. Some excellent serving methods are:
   • Add the beans to a salad
   • Season the beans with olive oil, salt and pepper for a fresh side dish
   • Put the sprouts on your sandwich for a crunchy and healthy dish

Method 4 of 4: Prepare dishes with mung beans

1. Replace most beans with mung beans. You can also use cooked mung beans in many bean recipes that use boiled peas, chickpeas, and lentils. For example, you can make mung bean falafel by replacing the soaked chickpeas with cooked mung beans. Some other delicious dishes in which the beans have been replaced with mung beans are:
   • Pea soup with mung beans instead of peas
   • Cold chickpea salad with mung beans instead of chickpeas
   • Warm lentil salad with mung beans instead of lentils
2. Add sprouted mung beans to any savory dish. Sprouted mung beans are very versatile. You can sprinkle them over a salad to make it crunchier and healthier or sauté them in a stir-fry dish. Some other good ways to use fresh sprouted mung beans are:
   • Put a layer of sprouted mung beans on your sandwich.
   • Stir sprouted mung beans into your favorite vegetable soup.
   • Garnish your favorite Asian noodle dish with it.
3. Make a curry with mung beans. Savory mung beans are delicious with traditional curry flavors such as garam masala, coconut milk, ginger and lime. Search the internet for your new favorite recipe for a mung bean curry. You can also stir some cooked mung beans into your favorite curry dish to add some extra flavor and nutrients. Some good curries are:
   • An Indonesian curry like gulai salai ikan khas palembang (smoked fish curry)
   • Palak paneer, an Indian curry
   • Chicken curry from the slow cooker