Mung beans (Moong)

Grown in India since ancient times, and still cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, mung bean is a legume with many forms: whole, split with skins, split and hulled, and sprouted, but it also comes in the form of flour.

It is a versatile and highly nutritious legume that is popular in numerous Asian dishes. According to traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, mung beans are considered a cooling (yin) food, with cleansing and nourishing effects on the human body.

In Kerala, mung beans are often boiled and made in a dry version that is commonly served with rice gruel. In Tamil Nadu, whole beans are steamed and seasoned to make a dish called sundal. In China, whole mung beans are used to make a warm or chilled dessert called tángshuǐ, while mung bean paste is a popular filling choice in the cuisines of Indonesia and the Philippines.