Mung Bean Casserole

A substantial and warming dish that's also very healthy.

Vegan. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 1 hour (plus overnight soaking).

Contributed by Mike Lewis (October 2005).

Mung beans are among my favorite legumes. They're most often used in Indian and Chinese cooking, but they add taste and substance to western dishes too. With their rich, creamy texture, they're also great in salads. And their health credentials are excellent: zero cholesterol, negligible fat, high in protein and dietary fiber, and a good source of calcium and iron.

This mung bean casserole is a particularly tasty recipe, and one that shows off the bean to perfection. It's quick and easy to make (apart from the overnight soaking of the beans), especially as you can do most of the preparation in advance.

The quantities given here will make two very substantial portions.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (3 oz, 75 g) dried mung beans
• 4 - 6 medium potatoes
• Oil for frying
• 1 onion, sliced and chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 large sticks of celery, sliced
• 4 - 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups (16 fl oz, 480 ml) vegetable stock
• ½ tsp. miso (if available)
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 400F (200C)

Cover the mung beans with about three times their volume of cold water, and leave to soak overnight.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to a pan of boiling water. Boil rapidly for ten minutes, then turn down the heat and let them simmer for another ten minutes or until completely cooked. When ready, drain the beans and rinse in a sieve under running water.

While the beans are cooking, peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil in salted water for about ten minutes, or until they're just beginning to soften.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, and cook gently for a few minutes. Then add the carrots, celery and mushrooms. Continue cooking until the vegetables are starting to become tender. Add the stock, miso and seasoning, and cook for another five minutes.

Add the cooked beans, potatoes and vegetables to an oven dish. Cook in the oven, covered, for 30 minutes.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.