Sweet Mung Bean Coconut Porridge
17 April 2015 | BY ANDJELKA JANKOVIC | Travel
From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a light shine
Gluten free, dairy free, vegan
Returning from a soul satisfying trip, I had immediate cravings for Bubur Kacang Hijau meaning Indonesian mung bean porridge or (to me) – Ubud in a bowl.
Made with versatile mung beans, coconut milk, fresh ginger and spices – you’ll taste why this delicious legume has since become my best foodie friend. For anyone with a sensitive system, mung beans are relatively easy to digest, high in fibre and nutrients, and are one of the most cherished foods in Ayurveda. This isn’t an everyday breakfast, but when I make it I am transported back to Bali with the first spoonful. As with everything, make it your own with what ingredients you have on hand and what toppings inspire and nourish you.
Serves 2 + 15 minutes to make once the mung beans are cooked.
Ingredients
2 cups mung beans, soaked overnight
4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
5cm knob fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons raw honey, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla seeds
6 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Method
Soak the mung beans in water overnight and rinse them in cold water.
Place the beans in a saucepan along with the water, cinnamon stick, and ginger. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the beans have cracked open but are not mushy.
Stir in the coconut milk and add honey, vanilla seeds, salt, cardamom and cinnamon powder. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook until the coconut milk is just heated through, about 5 minutes. Take care to not burn the mung beans. Add more cinnamon, honey or salt to achieve the balance you like. Remove cinnamon stick from the pot. Spoon the porridge into bowls.
Now this is the fun part – toppings! I like to use local seasonal fruit to inspire the rest of the bowl. In this case I was gifted organic passionfruit from a friend’s tree and was particularly excited to find persimmons at the local markets. Then I sprinkle on top my breakfast favourites – pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, activated buckwheat, nut of the moment (cashew), bee pollen and cinnamon (always more!). Enjoy with a cup of fresh mint tea.
Hello. I have sprouted mung beens (2 days), can I use them in this recipe? It sounds delicious. Thank you.
I have my mung beans soaking and can’t wait to try this tomorrow morning. I was looking for something that my daughter (her husband is from China and she has learned to make Chinese food) made when I was visiting her over the Thanksgiving holiday but I found this instead.
Hi Sandra! So glad you found your way here – it is a gem of a dish. How did it turn out?
Andjelka x