Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw

Mung beans have a mildly sweet taste and are easy to digest. The raw sprouts are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

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© Bought from aedkafl, fotolia Mung bean sprouts, raw - Vigna radiata: basket full, with mung beans to the left.
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© CC-by-sa 2.5, Frank C. Müller, Wikimedia Commons Raw mung bean sprouts (Vigna radiata) on a dish to eat raw.
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© CC-by-sa 3.0, Edukeralam, Wikimedia Fresh sprouted, ripe seeds of mung beans (Vigna radiata).

Nutrient tables

Mung bean sprouts, which are often called bean sprouts, are ripe mung beans that have sprouted. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Related to the soy bean plant, they are originally from India and belong to the Faboideae family of flowering plants. Mung bean sprouts are often mislabeled and sold as soy bean sprouts. Unlike other types of beans, like the garden bean, mung beans do not contain lectin and can be eaten raw. They do not contain trisaccharides either, which means they are easy to digest and do not cause bloating or gas. Ripe mung beans sprout easily and are grayish-green or brown, cylindrically shaped beans about 2 – 5 mm in size. Thanks to their mildly sweet taste, mung beans can be used in a large variety of dishes, including soups, salads, and classic stir-fries. Mung beans are such an important part of the Indian diet that they are considered a staple food in that country.

Culinary uses:

Wikipedia:Mung bean sprouts are easier to digest than garden beans and do not cause bloating or gas. They also have a much more neutral flavor compared to garden beans. You can use mung bean sprouts, fresh pods, and dried beans in recipes. They sprout easily and are often sprouted for home use. Mung bean sprouts are often mislabeled and sold as soy bean sprouts. They are a classic in stir-fries but are also used in salads. Glass noodles are made from Mung bean flour. Mung beans are an important source of protein in the Indian diet and are considered a staple food in that country. They are used when making Dal and eaten as a snack. One popular method for preparing Mung beans as a snack is to soak the dried beans, let them dry, then fry them in oil.¹

Purchasing:

Mung bean sprouts can be purchased in health food stores, organic grocery stores, Asian grocery stores, and regular grocery stores.

Making mung bean sprouts:

You will need fresh mung beans, a fine-meshed strainer, a clear bowl, a wide mouth jar, cheesecloth or other material to use as a container cover, and a rubber band.
Measure out the amount of mung beans you want to sprout. Mung beans reach around 5 to 7 times the volume of the dry beans once they sprout, so be careful not to make too much. Place the beans in a clean, clear bowl. Pour enough cold water into the bowl to immerse the beans, then let the beans soak for 12 hours.
Drain the soaked beans and place them in the jar, cover with the material, and secure with a rubber band. Two to three times a day, refill the jar with cool water, rinse and drain the beans. The sprouts must stay damp but should never lie in water because mold can grow if they are immersed.
If you have a sprouter, you can use it instead. Modern sprouters save time and ensure a steady supply of water and air to the beans.
The ideal temperature for sprouting mung beans is between 18 and 22 °C (64 and 72 °F). The germination time for mung bean sprouts is 3 – 4 days.

Nutritional information:
The nutritional value of mung beans is very similar to urad beans. Mung beans have a high protein content at 24% of their dry weight. The high lysine content makes this a valuable protein. The sprouts, which can be eaten raw, are low in calories and have a high fiber, vitamin, and folic acid content (59% carbohydrates, vitamins A, B1, B2, Niacin, C, and E. Also, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and magnesium).¹

General information:

The mung bean (Vigna radiata), alternatively known as the moong bean, monggo, green gram, or mung[2] Sanskrit मुद्ग / mŪgd, is a plant species in the legume family. The mung bean is mainly cultivated in Indian Subcontinent India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal. including China, Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes…. The mung bean was domesticated in Persia (Iran), where its progenitor (Vigna radiata subspecies sublobata) occurs wild…. By about 3500 years ago mung beans were widely cultivated throughout India. Cultivated mung beans later spread from India to China and Southeast Asia. Archaeobotanical research at the site of Khao Sam Kaeo in southern Thailand indicates that mung beans had arrived in Thailand by at least 2200 years ago.¹