Benefits of Moong Bean Soup
Moong (or mung) bean is used in Ayurveda to balance all three doshas and eliminate toxins. Spices are used medicinally to create a delicious and nourishing soup. When eaten daily over a period of time, it will have a powerful detoxifying effect that is quite remarkable.
Choose one or two of the following vegetables to add to your moong:
Pumpkin grated, zucchini grated, spinach baby or chopped, sweet potato grated, carrot grated, kale, green beans
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Moong Beans
- 2 tablespoons of Ghee*
- 1/2½ teaspoon Hing (asafetida)
- 1-2 fresh Green Chilies, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 teaspoons Coriander Powder
- 1/2½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1cm piece of Cinnamon Bark or ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 2-3 Cloves or ½ tsp Clove Powder
- 8-10 Curry Leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tablespoon Jaggery or Rapadura Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt (add more according to taste)
- 1 handful of fresh, chopped Coriander
* Substitute with safflower or rice bran oil for vegans
Method
1. Wash and soak the moong beans in 2 cups of water for 1 hour. Using hot water will speed the cooking process.
2. Remove the water from the soaked moong beans, add 2 cups of fresh water, and boil the moong beans on medium heat until the water starts boiling.
3. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let the moong beans cook for 20-30 minutes, until they are soft. (During this time, keep checking the pot to see if there is enough water – you may need to top up the water levels once or twice). If you have a pressure cooker this step is quicker.
4. In a small separate pot, heat the ghee on medium heat for 1 minute.
5. Add the cumin seeds and green chilies, once the seeds start to crackle, add the asafetida powder, curry leaves, cloves and cinnamon and mix with a spoon.
6. Add this spice mixture to the cooked moong beans.
7. Keep the moong beans and spiced mixture on low heat.
8. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, grated ginger and jaggery.
9. Allow the moong beans with spices to come to a boil. Let it boil for 5-10 mins. (The moong should have a soup-like consistency. Add more water if need be)
10. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Note: The end result should be moong beans that are soft and tender, easily crushed between your fingers.
