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Filed under “foods that I didn’t appreciate until I was an adult” is mung bean salad. I grew up eating it with almost every dinner: chopped tomato and red onion, cilantro sprigs, sprouted mung beans, and a very generous spritz of lime. This bright, crunchy, punchy side accompanied meals of rice, roti, daal, and stewed and stir-fried vegetables of every kind.
We went through sprouted mung beans with such regularity that making them was always mid-process throughout the week, similar to homemade yogurt or sourdough starter. A container, usually a repurposed Cool Whip tub, sat atop our fridge, germinating in perpetuity.
Now older, wiser, and cut off from the endless supply of sprouted mung beans that I once shunned, I’ve grown to miss its familiar clean, earthy, squeaky taste and texture. And now that the weather is warmer, sprouting mung beans at home feels like the perfect project as a harbinger of spring.
While it’s a relatively hands-off process, it does require some patience: anywhere from two to four days, so think of it like an at-home science project. It’s so satisfying to see tiny baby tendrils emerge from dormant beans—just as joyful as watching spring flowers bloom or that windowsill tomato plant finally bear fruit.
How to sprout mung beans
Thoroughly rinse ½ cup whole mung beans—this is a great time to pick out small stones or debris that may float to the surface. Add to a large glass container (Pyrex works great here) and fill with enough water to cover the beans by about an inch. Let them soak for 12 hours, but if you don’t get to it until the next day, that’s fine too. Important: Keep your container open to the air to prevent any funky fermentation, especially if you live in a warmer climate. A dish towel or cheesecloth draped over the top works fine if you’re concerned about keeping out dust or deterring curious pests, as long as it has some airflow going.
Rinse and thoroughly drain your soaked beans, then place them back into the glass container. Partially cover the top with the lid and place in a shaded corner of your counter. Now all that’s left to do is wait. Depending on the temperature and humidity of your home, you’ll have sprouted mung beans ready to eat anywhere between 12 hours and 3 days. Once they’ve sprouted—with little white roots about a centimeter in length—they’re ready to devour. If you don’t eat immediately, pop the lid on the container and store it in the fridge for 3–5 days.
How use sprouted mung beans
Sprouted mung beans have an incredibly mild taste—a little nutty, a little earthy—that some people say taste similar to creamy baked potatoes, making them all the more versatile.
Use them wherever you want a pop of fresh vegetal texture. Try them as a crunchy addition in salads like this Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad With Cabbage, or this Cucumber, Tomato and Green Bean Salad. With such a light flavor of their own, sprouted mung beans will take on the taste of whatever dressing you choose to use.
Sprouted mung beans are also a classic addition to chaat, especially as a filler for beloved pani puri or dahi puri. They also play well in veggie stir-fries: Add them in as the very last vegetable in this Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry, or cook them up palya-style with curry leaves and shredded coconut.
Or, keep it simple: A handful of sprouted mung beans, tossed in a sprinkle of chaat masala and squirt of lime is a satisfying snack on its own.