Sprouted Mung Bean Salad

With all the hype of sprouted beans, I decided to give it a go with sprouting my own Mung beans - the magical holistic bean of India.  It was another adventure that I hope any one reading this blog tries at least once.  I for one will be repeating this process.  The raw sprouts have a crunchy, slightly sweet taste that I found immediately appealing.  I dressed the salad with Thai flavors and the lime/chili flavors brought this salad to life.  A "clean", vegan, nutritionally packed meal.  Leave out the chilis if you cannot handle heat, but I must say the flavors added an essential kick that I loved.

Growing your own sprouts at home may minimize any danger of bacterial contamination that might be picked up with store bought products. If you are concerned you can dip the sprouts in boiling water for 2 minutes just to eliminate any worries if you have young children or seniors that might be susceptible to bacteria in the raw food.  I used the sprouts raw.

Ingredients

About 3 -4 cups of fresh, raw sprouted mung beans ( made from approx. 1 cup dried beans, see notes below)
About 3/4 cup chopped fresh coriander, finely chopped
about 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
4 spring onions chopped
2 red, hot chilis chopped with seeds (reduce if you cannot tolerate heat)
4 table spoons soy sauce ( preferably organic)
Juice of 2 large limes
2 tablespoons grated jaggery or brown sugar
2 tablespoons of Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts (optional)

Method

Growing your own sprouted Mung Beans
To make your own sprouted Mung beans.  Use 1 cup of dried beans.  Wash thoroughly and soak overnight with enough water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches.

The next night, drain the beans and loosely wrap in a wet cheesecloth. Put in a colander and cover loosely with a dishcloth.  Place in a dark, dry area ( I put it in my laundry room).

 The next morning, open the cheesecloth to expose the beans and run cold water through the beans to give them a rinse.  Cover loosely with the cheesecloth and put the dishcloth over the top.  Return to the dark, dry location.  Repeat the process at night.

By the next morning the beans should show signs of sprouting.   Rinse again and store as in previous step.  Your sprouts should be ready by the evening to use, or the next day.  Remember to rinse morning and evening and to keep the cheesecloth wet.

For the salad
Rinse the sprouts and put in a large glass container.  Add the fresh coriander, basil, green onions and red chilies.  Mix well and set aside

To make the dressing add all the remaining ingredients into a small bowl.  Whisk well to mix.  Pour into the Mung Bean mixture.  Stir well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours so all the flavors can be intensified.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the cashew nuts over the top, or add to each serving as you plate it.

approx nutritional value based on 6 servings
calories: 60.9 / Fat:  .2 g /  Total carbs: 14.8 g/  Protein: 2.9 g

From my container garden - red chilies and basil