When I started at university, I tucked away, among the clothes and books, frozen containers of my favourite homemade foods, including this mung-bean dish, said Sanjana Modha. And my time at college was made infinitely warmer by knowing that, after a day spent studying, I could return to wholesome mung beans stewed with ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves and spinach.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300g mung beans
- 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1⁄2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- 1⁄4 tsp asafoetida (omit if gluten free or use gluten-free asafoetida)
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
- 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 green finger chilli, finely chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp soft brown sugar
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1⁄2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 400g baby leaf spinach, finely chopped
Method
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- The day before, place the mung beans in a colander and rinse under running water, rubbing the beans to remove any surface dirt. Place in a large bowl with enough room at the top to allow for expansion. Add the bicarbonate of soda and enough just-boiled water to cover the beans by around 4cm. Allow to stand overnight.
- The next day, drain the beans and rinse well with fresh water. Drain, then put in a large saucepan.
- Add 1 litre of just-boiled water and set over a high heat, allowing the beans to come to the boil.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 30-40 mins, or until the beans are very soft (they should squish easily between your fingers). Top up with a little extra hot water if required. Remove from the heat and set aside but do not drain.
- Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to finish crackling before adding the cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and gram flour.
- Stir well to cook the flour out for 30 secs before adding the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, salt and sugar. Sauté for 2-3 mins, or until the onion has softened. Add the tomatoes, yoghurt, turmeric and chilli powder and continue to cook for 2-3 mins, stirring all the time, or until the tomatoes break down slightly.
- Tip in the beans and their cooking liquid, along with 400ml of additional water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 10 mins. Finally, add the spinach and stir well to wilt. Simmer for about a further 5 mins and serve.
Taken from “Modern Masala: Ancestral Indian flavours, Remixed with Love” by Sanjana Modha.
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