Green Bean Soup (Asian Style - Sweet)

Taiwanese people love this soup. This simple recipe originated in China and has been enjoyed in mainland and Taiwan for centuries as part of healthy well being. According to Chinese Medicine, mung is considered a 'yin' food or cool food hence it is a recommended food for a yang person ( one with warm body temperature) or someone suffering from yang disease. It is also perfect to have on a hot summer day (yang).   ( Discovery website has some good basic info on Chinese Medicine for those interested - http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/chinese/yin-and-yang.htm)

I like to enjoy this soup irrespective of my yin and yang state of body. For me, Mung beans are a great source of protein and the soup is really a refreshing snack or light meal on a hot summer day.

Ingredients ( 4 bowls )

- 1 cup green mung

- around 4 cups of water

-  4 spoons of sugar (adjust per your taste)

Steps

- Soak green mung for at least 4 hours

- Pressure cooker the beans so that it is completely cooked ( you can simmer it for one hour at low heat if you don't have pressure cooker)

- If you didn't have enough time to soak mung for 4 hours then you might just have to cook the mung beans for longer period.

- Add 3 portions of water to one portion of cooked beans and add sugar

- Boil the liquid and let it simmer well for five - eight minutes.

- Let the soup cool down and then put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy the soup!

Note: you can also enjoy this soup warm and it tastes equally good.

Split Green Bean pancake

Mung dosa is perfect for your protein packed breakfast or light dinner. We love this recipe and its a regular feature on Sunday morning brunch. It is yummy and honestly not as difficult to make as it looks. So here are the simple steps for some yumm meal. 

Ingredients ( 6-8 medioum sized dosa or pancake)

- 1 cup split green mung beans ( mung daal with our without green cover)

- salt to taste

- cooking oil  

- 1/2 inch piece of ginger - pounded or 1/2 tsp ginger paste

- 2 cloves garlic - minced or 1/2 tsp garlic paste

- 1/2 cup water

Steps

- Soak mung beans for atleast 6-8 hours 

- Mix soaked mung beans, salt, ginger and garlic

- Add water only as you need to make a thick smoothie which can pour easily.

- Blend it very well till all the mung beans are crushed and it becomes a smooth batter.

- Now heat a flat pan and add little oil ( you need to do that only for the first pancake)

- Pour a table spoon full of batter at the center of the pan and quickly spread the batter working in circular motion and going outwards.

- Spray some oil on the edges and let it cook for few minutes. If the layer of batter is too thick then cover the pan with a lid so that it cooks well.

- You will see the edges turning dark, peel the pancake a little to see if it has the golden colour that you would like.

- Now peel the entire pancake/dosa and flip it on the pan. Let it cook for 30 more secs.

- Your pancake is now ready to serve.

- Enjoy it hot with your favourite chutney or ketchup.

- repeat the process by pouring fresh batter on the center of the pan.

Enjoy!!

Green Mung-Oats Smoothie

This is a very Taiwanese ( or Asian flavour). I had never had sweet Green Mung ever in my life as we would load it with spices in vegetables back in India and eat it for breakfast or lunch. But out here green mung is mixed with sugar and various recipes like soups and desserts are made. It took me a while to adopt the sweet mung flavour but now I love it.

This smoothie is healthy and plenty for my breakfast or light lunch. Mung is fat free and low in carbs but packed with proteins so its all good news.

Nutriona value of Green Mung: http://www.ehow.com/about_5448254_nutritional-values-green-mung-beans.html

Ingredients ( Makes 1 400 ml glass)

- 1 tablespoon boiled green mung ( I like to soak it for 6-8 hours and then pressure cooker it)

- 1 tablespoon cooked breakfast oats 

- 1/2 peeled and chopped medium sized apple ( optional)

-  1.5 tsp honey ( sugar or substitute if thats your preference)

- 1 tsp skimmed milk powder ( optional - makes smoothie creamy)

- 200 ml cold water 

Steps:

Put all thee ingredients in the blender and blend it till smooth. Pour it out in a glass and enjoy.