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Mung beans

Beans, lentils & pulses · Lentils & dals

Mung beans

Small green beans sold whole or split (yellow moong dal); quick-cooking, mild and easy to sprout.

Also called: moong dal, green gram, mung dal, moong

A kind of lentils

10 recipes with it

Photo: Ivar Leidus, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Mung beans (moong, green gram) are small, olive-green, cylindrical beans. Whole moong keeps its shape; split moong with skins is green-flecked; split and skinned moong dal is small and pale yellow and cooks almost as quickly as red lentils. They are the bean most often sprouted for bean sprouts.

Vigna radiata

How it’s used

  • Yellow moong dal tempered with cumin and ghee
  • Cooked with rice into khichdi
  • Soaked and ground for pesarattu and moong dal chilla
  • Sprouted for salads and usal
  • Sweet mung bean soups and fillings in East Asia

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, sweet and slightly grassy.
Texture
Split dal is soft and creamy; whole beans are tender with a light bite.
When cooked
Split moong needs no soaking and cooks fast; whole beans benefit from a short soak.
Sold as
dried
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep airtight in a cool, dry place; best within a year.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Cool cooked legumes quickly and refrigerate; reheat until piping hot and use within a few days.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
347 kcal
Protein
23.86 g
Carbohydrate
62.62 g
Fat
1.15 g
Fibre
16.3 g
Sugars
6.6 g

USDA FoodData Central: Mung beans, mature seeds, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Red lentils — For split moong dal; earthier and turns golden.

Related ingredients

Recipes with mung beans

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