What Do Mung Beans Taste Like?

What Do Mung Beans Taste Like?

If you've recently read about the many benefits of mung beans, then you're likely thinking about how you can add this legume to your meals. But before you begin adding mung bean to every recipe you make, you'll want to make sure that you enjoy the taste of it first. Here at Bob's Red Mill, we've tried all types of mung bean dishes and, over time, have discovered the flavors that mung beans combine best with. In this article, we'll share some of our favorite mung bean recipes and take a deep dive into the mung bean flavor profile. Read on for an overview of mung beans and their flavor before adding them to your meals.

What Are Mung Beans?

Mung beans, also known as green gram or monggo, are a type of bean belonging to the legume family. Mainly cultivated in East, Southeast and South Asia, mung beans are used to create sweet and savory dishes. The flavor of mung beans and the dishes that they are used in vary from region to region.

South Asia

While whole beans are widely popular in Indian cuisine, mung beans are more commonly used in places like Maharashtra, Kerala and Sri Lanka. Like whole beans, mung beans are used to make soups and hearty dishes like mung dal. In South Indian states like Telangana, the beans are seasoned with spices, grated coconut, and even turned into the batter to create a variety of dosas.

East Asia

Tngshui Mung beans are also a commonly used ingredient in Southern Chinese cuisine, where one of the most popular mung bean dishes is a dessert known as tngshui. Tngshui, which translates to sugar water, is served warm and chilled and enjoyed as a tea. In Hong Kong, hulled mung beans and mung bean paste are used to create ice cream and in Korea, skinned mung beans are soaked and ground to make a pancake-like batter.

Southeast Asia

In the Philippines, a savory stew known as ginisng mongg or mung bean stew is served with fish weekly. Mung bean paste is also commonly used in Southeast Asia and found in many Filipino desserts and bread.

Middle East

Mung beans are a staple ingredient in many parts of the Middle East, with mung beans and rice being a popularly served plate. To make this dish, the two foods are cooked together, creating a meal similar to pilaf. It is then enjoyed as a side dish or the main course.

Mung Bean Nutrition

Mung beans are nutritious and an excellent addition to a healthy diet. A great source of fiber, iron, complex carbs and vitamins and minerals, they help fuel your body with the nutrients needed to remain energized and strong. Mung beans also contain essential amino acids like lysine, which is vital for many bodily functions, including tissue repair, nutrient absorption and protein synthesis. In addition to being highly nutritious, mung beans are a low-calorie, low-fat and low-sodium food, making them excellent options for individuals with dietary restrictions. For a complete nutritional overview of mung beans, check out their nutritional information and ingredients here.

What Do Mung Beans Taste Like?

The unique look of mung beans often leaves individuals wondering if they taste similar to traditional beans. And while mung beans do maintain the naturally earthy taste that most other beans possess, they also offer many unique flavors. What's more, the taste of mung beans will vary depending on the form you choose to eat. If you find yourself asking, "what do mung beans taste like?" We're here to help. Below you'll find an overview of the different flavors of mung beans in each form available. mung beans

Raw Mung Beans

When enjoyed raw, mung beans brag a clean, crisp vegetable taste with a slightly earthy note. Raw mung beans can be enjoyed as a nutritious snack, as a crunchy addition to salad, or as a topping on your favorite pizza recipe.

Cooked Mung Beans

Cooking mung beans changes their flavor profile quite a bit. When mung beans are cooked, they take on a sweet, nutty flavor that compliments sweet and savory dishes. When added to a recipe, that subtle flavor tends to absorb the flavors from the ingredients surrounding it. So no matter what plate you choose to cook, mung beans will mix with nearly every flavor profile.

Mung Bean Sprouts

If you've tried mung bean sprouts before, you're likely familiar with their great taste. When added to soups, spring rolls, stir-fry and salads, mung bean sprouts provide a crisp and juicy crunch that takes the texture and flavor of the dish to the next level. Mung bean sprout's short germination period makes them easy to sprout at home and enjoy. Try your hand at making homemade mung bean sprouts and follow this recipe.

Mung Bean Paste

Mung bean paste is a commonly used ingredient in Chinese and Indian cuisine. It has a subtly sweet, nutty flavor often used to balance and thicken spicy soups. Aside from being used in soup, mung bean paste makes an excellent addition to homemade desserts like mooncakes and is often used by pastry chefs as a base for decorative icing. mung beans

Mung Beans vs. Other Legumes

When trying mung beans for the first time, many people ask what legume they are most comparable to. While adzuki beans, peas and lentils can be substituted for mung beans in several recipes, they are not quite the same. Mung beans have a slightly nuttier, less sweet and mild flavor than other legumes.

How Much Mung Beans Should You Eat?

Adding mung beans to your diet is an excellent way to boost your nutritional intake. Mung beans are also a fantastic food choice for those following a plant-based diet, as they are full of high-quality plant-based protein. That said, while mung beans contain a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, enjoying them won't satisfy all a person's nutrition requirements. So when adding mung beans to your meal plan, incorporate them into your meals alongside other whole foods. Enjoying mung beans once or twice a week is an excellent start to a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Flavors to Pair Mung Beans With

Mung bean's mild, nutty flavor makes it easy to use this legume in all types of cuisines. If you'd like to add mung beans to your meals and don't know where to start, keep reading. We've gathered a list of our favorite flavors to pair mung beans with.

Spices

When enjoyed alone, the mung bean flavor is very mild. When cooked, mung beans absorb the flavors of the foods around them, making them the perfect ingredient to mix with herbs and spices. Cooking mung beans alongside spices like cumin, paprika and chili powder will highlight the flavor of those spices and make mung beans the star of the dish. When cooking with mung beans, a little spice goes a long way. To prevent the spices from overpowering the recipe's other ingredients, start by adding a small amount and performing a taste test until the flavor is just right.

Vegetables

One of our favorite ways to enjoy mung beans is cooked alongside a handful of delicious vegetables. The nuttiness of mung beans and the savory taste of veggies create the perfect flavor combination. Ideal when turned into recipes like soups and stews, mung beans taste great when enjoyed with any vegetable.

Coconut Milk

coconut milk When you first begin cooking with mung beans, coconut milk is not typically an ingredient that you'd think to add. However strange as it may sound, coconut milk and mung beans are the perfect duo. Ideal for making stews and curries, coconut milk and mung beans produce a slightly sweet and creamy flavor that will take your dinner recipe to the next level. Add ingredients like lime juice, ginger and spices for a light, filling and delicious meal.

Meat

Mung beans are a quality plant-based protein, and combining them with other protein sources, like meat, is a great way to meet your daily requirement for this nutrient. Mung beans taste excellent when served alongside steak, pork, fish and chicken. Add them to your homemade taco recipes or serve them as a side with chicken and ricethe possibilities of this legume are endless! Now that you know how mung beans taste, it's time to start cooking with them. Visit our online recipe book for a handful of ways to add mung beans to your weekly menu. With dishes like Monggo Bean Stew and Mung Bean Dosas there's bound to be a recipe that you enjoy. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a healthy and happy day! Do you cook with mung beans often? We'd love to hear about the tasty recipes that you create. Share your favorite mung bean dishes with us in the comments below.  
Bob's Red Mill
September 22 2022

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