Mung or Moong bean sprouts are low in calories, have fiber and B vitamins, and deliver a boost of vitamins C and K. One cup of mung bean sprouts contains 26 calories. Any type of bean or legume can be sprouted, but mung bean sprouts are the most common type used in cooking. Sprouting can increase your ability to absorb nutrients in the beans that would normally be less digestible because they are bound by phytic acid. Bean sprouts can be eaten raw, though Vegetarian Times warns that raw sprouts may carry potentially harmful bacteria. I usually prefer steamed Mung sprouts.
Below is the video instructions for sprouting your own Beans and legumes.
I am not so much into raw food and I mostly prefer even my leafy greens slightly sautéed. Purchase bean sprouts from a reputable source, wash them thoroughly and cook them before using to decrease your risk of food-borne illness.
You can sprout mung and keep refrigerated for the whole week to add in your salads, soup or many other recipes. Sprouting beans is very easy and even kids will love to participate in.
A common sight in Asian stir fries, mung bean sprouts are a crisp, slightly nutty tasting addition to any meal. You’ll usually find them labeled simply as “bean sprouts” in the supermarket. These are among the fastest beans and seeds to sprout; you can grow bean sprouts as quickly as one or two days.
Follow the steps below to sprout any beans or legumes.
1 Rinse the beans.
Rinse the mung beans until the water runs clear. This will help protect you from anything which might have been in the soil, like metals and toxins, that the beans came from. It will also wash away things like mites!
Mung beans get much bigger once they sprout, so be careful not to make too much.
2 Place the beans in a clear bowl.
Place the rinsed beans in a clean, clear bowl. If you have a sprouter, you can use that instead.
3 Add the water.
Pour enough cold water into the bowl to immerse the beans, generally around 2 to 3 times the volume of the beans on their own.
4 Soak for 6-12 hours.
After 6-12 hours (usually around 8 hours), the beans will swell. How long they have to soak will depend on the beans and the temperature of where you live.
5 Drain and rinse the beans.
Drain away the excess water, rinse them with cold water, and drain the water again.
6 Place in a jar or container.
Place the swelled beans in a sprouting jar or bowl, covered with a cheesecloth (not with the jar lid!).
7 Put in a cool, dry, dark place.
Find a place that gets little to no sunlight where the beans will not be disturbed. The bottom of a closet or pantry is a good option.
8 Wait.
You will now have to go through a 2-5 day cycle of rinsing and draining the beans every 12 hours and replacing them in the dark spot. How long you wait depends on how sprouted you want your beans to be.
Now that you have sprouted mung ready, be as creative as you can to use it in the recipes. I love to add in my chaat recipes, salads, soup/stew, throw in Chinese noodles, grind to a paste and make some Dosa(pancakes) and more…
Below is the playlist for all my video recipes using Mung sprouts.
