The Green Gram
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About the Recipe
A delicious curry made with mung beans - aka Green Gram! Recipe courtesy of Tania Baker.
Green gram or mung beans are cultivated widely across south east Asia. Despite the name they are a member of the pea family so neither a lentil nor a bean! In Gujerat they are considered lucky and many a bride will have a handful of mung beans blessed on her wedding day.
Here I’ve used them to make a very simple curry. Some might call it a dahl. Whatever your naming preference this is comfort food for those cold winter evenings. Its lovely to serve with basmati rice or naan or chapattis perhaps with a little mango chutney. If I have some in the fridge I might add a little steamed tenderstem broccoli or some roast spiced cauliflower or even roast chickpeas. The crunch is a nice contrast in texture but by no means essential.
Mung beans can be cooked without soaking. However, the skin will break down easier and aid digestion if they are soaked. This also helps reduce the cooking time. A couple of hours is fine or you could soak for an hour in boiled water with half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. If you remember overnight is also fine.
Its really a recipe you can adjust to your own taste – you could add different spices. I’ve included fresh ginger here but its not essential. Also its not essential to add the coconut milk or creamed coconut – you could serve with Greek yoghurt instead. And if you had fresh coriander you could add that too – wash and finely chop the stalks and add them when the onions are cooking. Add the leaves when you serve.
You could also batch cook as it will freeze well.
Ingredients
200g mung beans rinsed & soaked for 4-6 hours
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp vegetable bouillon
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp ground ginger
1 x 400g chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
50g creamed coconut or half a tin of coconut milk (optional)
Use 4 cloves of garlic, crushed, instead of garlic granules, & a thumb-sized piece of
fresh ginger, finely grated, if preferred
Preparation
Put the soaked, rinsed beans in a pan with roughly double the quantity of fresh
cold water. Bring to the boil & simmer for 15 minutes until tender.
Whilst beans are cooking, heat the oil over a medium heat & add the onions. Add
a good pinch of salt & cook for 4-5 minutes until they colour– stir to avoid burning. If you are using fresh garlic add at this point & cook for a further minute.
Add garlic granules if not using fresh, chilli flakes, garam masala, ground ginger, bouillon & nutritional yeast. Cook for a further minute – the spices will release their aroma. Enjoy!
Add the tin of tomatoes & add water to the empty tin (about half a tin) & add to
the pan. If there are any larger pieces of tomato break up gently with the back of
a spoon. Add the fresh ginger if using & bring to a simmer.
By this point the mung beans should be nearly cooked. Drain the mung beans &
add to the sauce. If the curry looks a little dry add some water – remember if you
are using coconut milk at that end that will add liquid.
Simmer for 10-15 mins – taste & adjust seasoning adding more salt if required.
If you are using the coconut add at this point. Creamed coconut will take a few
minutes to be absorbed into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer & the curry is ready.
Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice, naan bread and mango chutney.