Green Mung Bean Stew and Stir Fried Kang Kong Greens

     It just happens to be St. Patrick's Day and I happen to be craving green foods. A far stretch from a traditional Irish meal but in the spirit of things they are green foods :-)

    Green mung beans are small green legumes used often in Asian and Indian cooking. They are a very easy bean to digest, high in protein, fiber and have a mild flavor. This recipe does not require the green mung beans to be pre-soaked. If you have a pressure cooker they will cook up really fast. According to Miss Vickies pressure cooker guide they only take 9 minutes! I would cook the beans first, then add the seasoning as I do below. On the stove top they take 35-45 minutes. My recipe is for the stove top since I don't have a pressure cooker. I also like the smell of soups and stews simmering.

     Before moving to Guam I had never heard of kang kong. There were a lot of unfamiliar local produce in the grocery store. A big part of the adventure in moving to a place like this is unravelling the mysteries of unfamiliar foods! My cultural window has greatly expanded by trying new foods. I fell in love with kang kong!!! As my family knows, I love my greens and need my 'green fixes' regularly. Just like Popeye eating spinach, I feel energized when I eat dark greens. Kang kong is also known as river spinach, water spinach and Chinese spinach. It is a semiaquatic grown tropical plant.

     There are many different ways you can use kang kong just like spinach or other dark greens. My favorite is just a simple stir fry seasoned with a little garlic and Bragg's Liquid Amino's (my lower sodium soy sauce alternative). The stems of the kang kong have a nice crunchy contrast to the tender leaves. If you don't have kang kong then try this simple cooking method with whole leaf spinach or another dark leafy green.

Green Mung Bean Stew

Serves 4

printable recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup dried green mung beans

4 cups water (for a thick stew, start w/ 3 cups water and add more as needed)

1 large carrot, diced

1 medium size red potato, diced

1 roma tomato, diced

2 T. chopped parsley or cilantro

1 ½ T. grapeseed or coconut oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. fresh ginger, minced

½ t. turmeric

½ t. ground cumin

½ t. black or brown mustard seed

¼ cup curry leaves (optional)

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Squeeze of lemon or lime

Salt & pepper to taste

*If you do not have curry leaves you can use a bay leaf. Add the bay leaf in step two along with the vegetables.

Directions:

1. Spread out the mung beans on a white plate or towel. Carefully examine them for small stones, discolored or shrivelled beans. Discard any you may find. Wash thoroughly with several rinses of water.

2. Add the mung beans to a 5 qt. pot along with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 35-40 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomato, parsley or cilantro. Simmer another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir the stew and if needed add a little more water. As you stir the soup the beans break down some and the soup gets creamy.

These tiny beans will absorb all that water! Make sure to 

check while cooking that there is enough water still in the pot.

3. After adding the vegetables prepare the remaining seasoning: heat the oil on medium heat in a small skillet. When the oil is hot add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for a minute then add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cumin, turmeric and curry leaves. Stir briefly, just until the spice aroma is released. If you want your stew to have some spicy heat, add one dried red chili or a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir this mixture into the green mung bean stew. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  This smells really good!

Serve with rice, Indian naan bread, or vegetables.

Quick Stir Fried Kang Kong

serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 large bundle of kang kong

2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1 T. grapeseed oil (or other mild tasting high heat oil)

1 T. Bragg's Liquid Amino's (or low sodium soy sauce)

pinch of sugar

1. Thoroughly wash the kang kong by filling up a sink with water and rinsing. Separate the leaves and stems. Cut the stems in 2 inch pieces. Place the leaves in a strainer and rinse a second time. Transfer to a bowl. Keep the stems separate from the leaves. Place them in the strainer and rinse a second time.

2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil on medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the garlic and stems. Quickly stir fry. Add a few tablespoons of water to help the stems cook. The stems should be tender but still have some crunch.

3. Add the kang kong leaves, Bragg's Liquid Amino's (or soy sauce) and pinch of sugar. Stir fry quickly. 

This dish cooks up really quick, not more than 2-3 minutes.