Mugachi Usal / Sprouted Mung Usal

Sprouted beans are considered healthier than regular beans as they are more bio available. Sprouts can be eaten raw in salads but this Maharashtrian recipe is very popular in my house. It is a simple preparation and cooks up quickly.

We had this usal for dinner with poli but it tastes really good with yogurt and rice too. This is one of my childhood favorites and because it is a recipe with very few ingredients the proportions of the sweet, sour and savory need to be just right. Make sure you adjust them as per your taste.

You will need (4 servings)
2 cup dry mung beans
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. asafoetda
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garam masala or coriander/cumin powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. amchur powder or lemon juice
1 tsp. red chilli powder or to taste
salt to taste

Soak the mung overnight. In the morning wrap the mung in a wet cloth and leave it aside for a day. In summer you could drain the water and leave the mung in the same pan they were soaked in. You will not need to wrap in a cloth.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Next add the sprouted mung. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well together.

Cover and allow to steam/cook a couple more times. Turn off the heat.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week four, day three of BM #64 for the theme Mega BM List. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#64.