How to make Mung Bean Sprouts at home
Mung Beans with skin/ Green Gram or Chilke Wali Moong Ki Dal, as it is called in Hindi, is a legume that is commonly consumed in India and now in many other parts of the world. This legume is packed with nutrients, is full of antioxidants and is a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians.
Mung Bean Sprouts are an excellent addition to your everyday meals. I recently made a delicious Mung Bean Sprouts Salad, which tastes great and was perfect for my evening meal.
In India, Moong Dal is used in various recipes such as curry, dosa, chaats, salads, etc. I have also shared a few recipes using Moong Dal, such as Moong Dal Cheela ( pancakes made with skinless moong dal), Pesarattu ( dosa made with green moong, i.e. moong dal with skin), Ven Pongal ( a south Indian style porridge made with rice and skinless moong dal), Quinoa Pongal ( pongal made with quinoa and skinless moong dal), Sweet Pongal ( a sweet version of pongal made with rice, jaggery and skinless moong dal), Bonda Soup ( Crispy Urad dal fritters in a moong dal soup), Mung Dal Parantha ( Whole wheat and moong dal sprouts parantha), and many more.
Today, I shall share with my readers the simple 3 step process of making Moong Dal Sprouts at home. But before we do that, let us understand what Moong Dal is, its nutritional information and the benefits of consuming moong dal sprouts.
What is Moong Dal?
Moong dal is a legume mainly grown in Asia. It grows in pods. After harvesting, the seeds are removed from the pods. The seeds have a green skin. Moong Dal with skin looks like this and is commonly available in this form. This variety is rich in fibre (because of the skin) and is hardier than those without skin( explained below). It also takes time to cook. It is best to soak it for a few hours before cooking it. This variety is used for sprouting.
Shops also sell moong dal, in the split form, with skin, which looks like this. This variety falls somewhere between the whole bean with skin ( explained above) and the split skinless variety ( explained below) when cooking time and digestibility are considered.
This third variety of Moong dal is de-skinned and split. It looks like this. This variety cooks fast and is also easy to digest. The most common recipe with this dal is Khichdi, which is a porridge typically served to people who are unwell or sick. Since this dal is easy to digest, it is perfect for people who find it difficult to swallow or digest their food.
What are the nutritional benefits of Moong Dal?
Moong Dal is rich in protein, fibre, carbs, proteins and minerals. When sprouted, their protein content increases, and vegetarians can include this in their diets to fulfil their protein needs. They are nutrient-dense and rich in antioxidants.
What are Moong Dal sprouts?
Sprouting is the process by which seeds germinate. If you put any seed (which is intact and in its cover) in soil and water it, you will notice that, in a few days, a shoot starts growing from it. If you allow it to grow, it will become a plant.
Mung Bean Sprouts are, basically, germinated, whole Mung Beans.
Can Mung Bean Sprouts be made at home?
Yes, sprouts are easy to make at home and don’t require much effort. 
Is any specialized equipment needed to make Mung Bean sprouts?
No, you don’t need any specialized kitchen equipment to make sprouts. All you need is a bowl to wash and soak the legume and a sieve/cotton cloth to let the sprouts develop.
How long does it take for a legume to sprout?
It depends on how long you want the shoots to be. For small shoots, 8-10 hours are enough. For longer shoots, 24-48 hours are needed.
What is the process of making Mung bean Sprouts?
Making sprouts is a three-step process. Let’s understand step by step how sprouts are made.
Step 1: Wash and soak the Mung Beans for 24 hours.
This is how the bean looks after 24 hours of soaking.
Step 2: Wash the beans once again. Drain out the excess water. Transfer to a strainer. Cover with a lid and rest it for 8-10 hours.
This is how you must keep the Mung Beans. The lid will help retain moisture. The strainer will allow airflow, and the bowl below can collect any excess water that drips from the beans.
After 8-10 hours, this is how the Mung beans will look. You will notice tiny shoots growing from each seed.
Mix the seeds with your hand and let them rest for another 24 hours in the same setup.
After 24 hours, this is how the beans will look.
Continue to let them rest for another 24 hours. This is how they will look after another 24 hours of rest.
Now, the sprouts are ready.
Step 3: Wash them once again and use them in any recipe of your choice.
If you have made a big batch and plan to use a portion immediately and use the rest later, don’t wash the portion that will be kept in the fridge. Wrap the sprouts in a moist cotton cloth ( which is dipped in water and wrung out). Tie a knot and keep this pouch in a container with a lid in the fridge. When you want to use them, remove them from the cloth, wash and use them.
Ideally, sprouts should be consumed within 2-3 days.
Can Mung Bean Sprouts be eaten raw?
Yes, they can be. In fact, it is said that you get the best nutrition from the sprouts when you eat them raw. However, by eating them raw, you risk the chances of consuming the bacteria that sometimes tends to grow in warm, closed conditions (when we make the sprouts). Some people may even find sprouts difficult to digest, leading to stomach cramps, diarrhoea, etc, after consuming them.
So, to be safe, it is best to cook the Mung Bean Sprouts before consumption. Cooking helps avoid the risk of food poisoning due to unwanted bacteria. Moreover, cooked sprouts taste a lot better than raw ones. You do lose some of their nutritional value, but this is a safer option. You can either boil, steam or lightly saute your sprouts. I find steaming them for about 10 minutes the most efficient way to consume sprouts.
If you don’t have a steamer, take a saucepan and fill it to half its capacity with water. Heat water in the saucepan. When the water comes to a boil, transfer your sprouts to a steel sieve and keep the sieve on the saucepan. Cover it with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. The steam that is generated by boiling water in the saucepan will rise. This steam will cook the sprouts.
Equipment for making Sprouts and cooking them:
Check out recipes from my kitchen here.
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