Mung is an easy to digest lentil that provides adequate protein. Used for both cleansing and building in Ayurveda, one can eat mung dahl everyday and not only will you gain complete nutrition and satisfaction, but soon this will be the stuff you crave!
Anti-Flatulence
Mung is the only legumes that is “vata balancing.” This means that, unlike every other type of beans or lentils, they will not produce any intestinal gas. They naturally are much easier to cook, digest, and assimilate.
Promotes Sattva (“Purity”)
Sattva is a quality in us that translates to “purity.” If Sattva is increased, then so is our inner stillness, clarity of mind and contentment. Love radiates and flows back to us in abundance, while the hormone oxytocin (also known as the “bonding or loving hormone”) is simultaneously secreting. Fresh, seasonal whole foods are predominately Sattvic, thus increases the Sattvic quality in us, based on the Ayurvedic law of “Like Increases Like.”
This is why Mung Dahl is considered to facilitate spiritual growth and effectively detox the body. It has long been used to nourish babies and the elderly, the sick, and the healthy during special times of detox, cleansing, and deep spiritual practice.
Ingredients
serves 3-4
- 3/4 cup of whole green mung dahl (with green skin on) (green gram)
- 2 or more types of any fresh seasonal vegetables finely chopped – e.g. zucchini, kale, silver-beet, spinach, dandelion, cauliflower, broccoli etc. – by using seasonal foods, nature is providing the antidote to the harsh qualities that the season may manifest.
- salt to taste
Spices:
- 1tsp turmeric powder
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 1-2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1-2 tsp cumin seeds
- 10-15 fresh curry leaves
- leeks, spring onion or onion – all finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped – make sure to purify by removing the inner green sprout.
- Ghee – Approx. 1-2 tablespoons.
Method
- Wash mung dahl and soak in a generous amount of water it for 2 hours. Even 1-6 hours of soaking is ok. The longer you soak the quicker it will cook.
- Boil mung dahl in a pot of water – allow water level to be about 1 inch above the food. You can need to add more water as you go.
- When the mung dahl is getting more soft (test my squishing a lentil with your fingers), add vegetables that take a bit longer to cook (e.g. thick leafy green stems, broccoli stems, cauliflower, carrot etc.). (add as many vegetables as you like).
- After the “vegetables that take a bit longer to cook” are basically cooked, add turmeric + black pepper + salt + hing + quicker to cook vegetables such as leafy greens.
- Once the dahl and veggetables are cooked, in a separate pot fry the other spices in ghee along with onion, garlic and curry leaves.
- Add the spices in the main pot, mix well for 5 minutes to infuse the spices in the dahl.
You are adding the vegetables in the pot in a timely matter so that when the vegetables are finished cooking so are the lentils. (Everything is ready and cooked by the end).
Garnish with fresh coriander and fresh lemon.
Make the Meal a Complete Protein
Serve with a carbohydrate such as fresh bread and/rice or quinoa etc.
When you mix grain + legume you have all nine essential amino acids which make up a complete protein.
This explains how ancient cultures like India and Africa have been living off beans and rice for decades.
General Ratio:
- 50% vegetables (at least)
- 25 % protein
- 25 % carbs
