Green mung bean soup
Green mung bean soup is a wonderful dinner, easy to digest, rich in proteins, tasty, purifying and it makes you feel well “inside”, no matter if you are a child, a senior or midage. Of course, she is also perfect for lunch. This soup is often recommended by ayurvedic therapists, when the patient starts his general treatment first with a purifying diet. Still this soup will satisfy you. I can recommend this green mung bean soup personally. It’s served with basmati rice and fresh cilantro leaves.
Time for preparation: 7 hours soaking for the beans (or during the night), 35 minutes cooking time
Ingredients for 4 people
3 hands of green mung beans
750 ml of water
3,5 cm fresh grinded ginger
2 cloves of garlic (optional)
1,5 tea spoon cilantro seeds, grounded
1,5 tea spoon cumin seeds, grounded
1 tea spoon cinnamon
1 tea spoon turmeric
2 soup spoons ghee (click here to find out how to make your own ghee)
1,5 teas spoons salt
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
Preparation
Soak the beans in water the night before, or at least 7 hours before cooking. They will gain volume. Pour the soaking water away and put the green beans into a pot with cold fresh water and the 2 garlic cloves. Heat it all up. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Take away the grey spume, which appears during the first minutes of cooking. Let it all cook for 15 minutes, with the lid almost closed. Then add the spices: grinded ginger, turmeric, cilantro and cumin seeds, cinnamon and salt. Let it cook for 10 more minutes. If more water is needed, add a bit of hot water. Add the ghee and when the beans are really soft and almost dissolved, mix it with a stick blender until getting a smooth puree / soup. Put 3/4 of the freshchopped cilantro into the dal. Serve the green mong dal with the rest of the fresh cilantro leaves and basmati rice. Save the rest of the soup in the fridge for the next evening. It will get thicker, so add a bit of water, when you re-heat it.
When you can’t live without a slide of bread for dinner (we germans love bread in the evening), toast a good spelt bread and eat it with goat cheese and some drops of olive oil. Soft cheeses are easier to digest and espacially in the evening, our “agni” – the digestion fire, is not so good anymore. Therefore we prefere some light dishes for dinner.
Effects on the doshas: good for all 3 doshas. Very good for pitta types.