Mung Bean Curry Mung Ata Maluwa

T h e fi rst time I tried mung beans was when my mother made mung bean kiri bath. Th e milk rice was speckled with these small green seeds. Mung beans, which are actually legumes rather than beans and are also known as green gram, have a slightly sweet taste, which makes them easy to eat. My mother was also partial to cooking green mung beans rather simply, with only a bit of seasoning. Th is recipe uses skinned mung beans, which reveals their yellow colour. Th is goes nicely with coconut sambol (page 152), bitter gourd sambola (page 141), and fried pork with onions and banana peppers (page 121).

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Place the mung beans in a medium-size pot. Add the turmeric, paprika, and cayenne, and mix to combine.

Step 2

Add the onion, curry leaves, and salt, and mix well.

Step 3

Add enough water to completely cover the mung bean mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and let cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. You may need to add more boiling water as the mung beans cook.

Step 4

If so, add 1/4 cup at a time.

Step 5

Stir in the coconut milk. Add more salt to taste if needed.

Step 6

Turn down the heat to low and let simmer until the mung beans are cooked through. Cooking time is approximately 25 minutes. (T h e mung beans should be tender but should still hold their shape and not be mushy.)