In India, Mung beans are known for their healing properties—benefits include curbing sugar, chocolate and carb cravings. 

It was late May when I finally made a conscious decision to address a few things I knew I had to: for one, sugar cravings. Abdominal bloating had also always been an issue for me.

I knew I had to incorporate more energy-boosting food into my diet, so I decided to sign up for an Ayurvedic consultation with yoga therapy. Ninety minutes later, I had a proposed solution in hand: mung beans three times a week (in salads, soups or casseroles). And yoga.

In India, mung beans are known as ‘healing beans’ due to their anti-inflammatory benefits. They’re also known to have powerful antioxidant properties, are low in calories, and high in fiber. Which is the reason why they help curb cravings for carbs and sweets.

Just six weeks later, I felt like a new person. The bloating was gone, I felt lighter, and I had more energy. And my chocoholic tendencies had almost disappeared (almost)!

After much experimentation, I came up with my ideal mung bean recipe, as follows:

(Makes six servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup dried mung beans (soak in water for a few hours)

¼ cup coconut milk

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 bell peppers (orange and red)

1 red onion, chopped

1 zucchini, grated

½ tsp dry parsley

Pinch of salt

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring 2-2 ½ cups water to a boil. Add the mung beans and cover partially so that steam can escape. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed.

In a separate pan, sauté the onion and peppers in olive oil for two minutes, then add zucchini. Stir fry until tender, but not too soft (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Once mung beans are nearly cooked through, stir in vegetables and add coconut milk and tomato paste. Stir and simmer for about five minutes. Add a pinch of salt and parsley.

Mung beans are available at most health food stores, Whole Foods or Trader Joes.

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Editorial Assistant: Lizzie Kramer / Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Courtesy of Dennis Watin (Pixoto) and Earth100 (Wiki Commons)