Spicy Mung Bean Curry

I had a hankering for some homemade Indian food this week, so have been busy cooking up several dishes. The beautiful thing about many Indian recipes is that, once you own the spices, they aren't that complicated to make. The hardest thing about this cuisine, really, is acquiring any specialty spices that you don't already have.

I started with a recipe featuring Mung Beans, only because I've never cooked with this type of bean before.

So, let's turn this set of raw ingredients into something delicious!

 

Spicy Mung Bean Curry
Indian Vegetarian Cooking at Your House

1 c green mung beans
1 c water
1 T vegetable oil
1 tsp mix of cumin, mustard and sesame seeds
2 1/2 T onion, chopped
1 T tomato, chopped
pinch fresh jalapeno, chopped
pinch fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 T cumin (ground)
1 1/2 -2  tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp Pav Bahji masala (a specialty spice I omitted for lack of having it)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne

Combine cup of beans with cup of water and cook 10 minutes, until soft. (Note -- 10 minutes was not enough for me. Not nearly enough. I cooked the entire dish as described and found that the beans didn't really soften until the dish was reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes. Any reader tips on mung beans are very welcomed.) Set beans aside in their cooking water.

In another saucepan, heat the oil. Add seed mixture.

When seeds pop, add rest of the ingredients, including mung beans and their cooking water. Heat through. Add more water if necessary, but the consistency should be a bit thick.

Top with cilantro leaves and serve with rice and/or pita. Freezes well.

Part of this delicious dinner!