Mungo bean sprouts are more commonly known as green soybean sprouts or Indian beans, but in reality they are real legume sprouts, as the mungo bean belongs to the Fabaceae family (in scientific terms, from faba, i.e. "broad bean ").
This legume is native to the Indian peninsula, produced in large quantities in practically all of Asia, but lately also cultivated in the United States and in some countries of the Mediterranean Sea. At sight it appears in the form of round green seeds enclosed in pods (just like we usually see beans).
How are mungo bean sprouts prepared?
The preparation of mungo bean sprouts is particular:
The mungo bean seed is dried and then left to soak for at least twelve hours. After this wait, it is passed to the sprouter, until the green leaves that have emerged reach 3 or 4 centimeters (usually between forty-eight and seventy-two hours in the dark), measurements which indicate that the moment has been reached perfect for collection.
It is important to germinate them in the dark because this way their taste tends to remain fresher.
Benefits of mungo bean sprouts
Not everyone yet knows that mungo bean sprouts have characteristics that represent a real healthy touch for the health and well-being of our body. Their nutritional properties are really very important because, being these sprouts rich in dietary fiber.
Nutritional elements of mungo bean sprouts
100 grams of raw mungo bean sprouts contain:
- carbohydrates: 1.75 g of which sugars 0.54 g
- fat: 0.36 g of which 0.05 g saturated
- protein: 2.47
- sodium salt: 0.02 g
- calcium: 13.5 mg
- iron: 0.9 mg
- magnesium: 21.8 mg
- manganese: 0.2 mg,
- phosphorus: 56.2 mg
- potassium: 155 mg
- zinc: 0.4 mg
- copper: 0.2 mg
- selenium: < 0.1 mg
mung bean SPROUTS: THE USES IN THE KITCHEN
Mungo bean sprouts, even if they don't look like it, are delicious: crunchy, fresh, tasty and light. The best way to appreciate them is to eat them raw, also because in this way their nutritional properties are not lost. However, there are numerous recipes in which they are inserted to be cooked.
There are, therefore, those who simply add them to salad mixes or use them as a side dish or even as an embellishment to some courses and those who use them as an ingredient for soups (adding them during cooking as the last step as they are very delicate) or to prepare delicious meatballs.
Some Chefs insert mungo bean sprouts in the preparation of desserts and cakes, others use them in various fries, thus combining the warm and tasty flavor of the external fried batter with the freshness and crunchiness of the internal sprout.
One of the simplest preparations is steam cooking. After just a few minutes the sprouts will be ready to be seasoned with just a pinch of salt and a light drizzle of oil.
Where to find mungo bean sprouts
Today it is much easier than a few years ago to find this product. In almost all supermarkets, in the fresh vegetable counter, we can find them packed in small trays. Alternatively, on the canned food shelves, various national producers offer them pre-cooked in handy cans.
Of course, producing them yourself at home, with our organic seeds, is a whole other show :-)