Mung beans (kacang hijau) are small, green legumes are incredibly versatile. They are packed with nutrients and is one of the best plant-based sources of protein.
Mung beans are also consumed sprouted. Sprouted beans contain fewer calories yet more antioxidants than in the form of beans itself.
Do you know we can grow bean sprouts ourselves? It is very easy to sprout mung beans.
All we need is an empty milk carton and a handful of mung beans. This is a very interesting project you can do with your children.
Let’s Grow Bean Sprouts Right at Our Home!
- Poke small holes along an empty milk carton so that water can go through.
- Pour mung beans into the milk carton.
- Water the mung beans (through the opening of the milk carton) and make sure to drain off excess water through the holes.
- Place the milk carton in a dark area.
- Repeat the watering process for at least 3 days.
- The bean sprout is ready to be harvested by the fourth day.
- Cut the milk carton open to harvest the bean sprouts.
These bean sprouts can be eaten stir-fried, added into noodles and more.
Back to mung beans, we usually consume mung bean soup to repel excess body heat. These beans are also great to make traditional Malay snacks, especially during the fasting month, as it helps to replenish lost fluids.
Kuih Kasturi Recipe
Today, I’m going to share a recipe for Kuih Kasturi (mung bean fritters). Kuih Kasturi is crispy on the outside with soft and sweet mung bean filling on the inside.
Kuih Kasturi (Mung Bean Fritters)
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients:
- 250 g mung beans
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut (40g) white part only
- 1/4 cup plain flour (30g)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 litre water to boil the mung beans
- 2 pcs pandan leaves
Batter ingredients:
- 1 cup rice flour (90g)
- 1/2 tsp kapur water
- 1 egg white
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- 1 cup iced cold water to make crispier skin
Instructions
To make the mung bean filling
- Wash the mung beans.
- Add water into a pot.
- Pour mung beans into the pot, add knotted pandan leaves and boil until soft.
- You can use the stove to boil the mung beans which requires at least 90 minutes or you can use a pressure cooker if you have one which will take only 20 minutes.
- Once the mung beans have soften, discard excess water.
- Continue cooking until the beans are dry. Make sure to keep stirring.
- Add sugar and grated coconut. Keep stirring.
- Add flour and stir. Once thicken and dry, remove from heat.
- Leave to cool.
- To shape the mung bean filling, oil your palm. Pinch a ball of mung bean filling, roll and then press to flatten.
- Repeat those steps until you've shaped all the mung beans into flatten balls.
To make the batter:
- In a bowl, combine rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, kapur water and egg white.
- Mix.
- Add iced cold water and mix until you get thick but runny consistency batter.
- Heat oil in a wok.
- Dip a mung bean ball into the batter.
- Drop it carefully into the hot oil.
- Do not fry too many at a time in the wok. Give them space in order to get crispy batter.
- Fry until golden.
- Scoop out and toss to get rid of excess oil.
- Serve immediately.
Note: Iced cold water is the secret to the crispy batter. Do not substitute it with room temperature water.
These crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside fritters are best eaten freshly fried. One piece is never enough.
