Mung Beans and Bulgur (Mung beans mujaddara)

I was intrigued by this recipe. There are several dishes featuring mung beans in Chef Ramzi’s The Culinary Heritage of Lebanon. All the mung beans recipes are from the North, near Tripoli.  This one is a mujaddara, similar to the one made with lentils. In fact, I found dozens of mujaddara recipes, each made with a different type of legume. His recipe was very succinct, and consisted of only four ingredients: mung beans, burgul, olive oil and onions. I figured spices are at one’s discretion. I decided to follow the same method as with the mujaddara hamra. The result is delicious. Mung beans are very nutritious too, and it is an easy recipe to make during the week at the spur of the moment.

INGREDIENTS: This quantity will serve up to 6

• 3/4 cup of mung beans
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup of coarse bulgur or burghul
• 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• Spices consisting of salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, allspice and cumin (1 teaspoon each, then adjust to your taste)

METHOD:

1. Boil the mung beans in 4 cups of water until tender.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the onions till almost caramelized but not burnt.
3. Add the bulgur and stir to get all the grains moistened.
4. Add the onion and bulgur and oil to the mung beans and stir.
5. Add the spices and mix.
6. Simmer until the bulgur grains are soft and the mixture has the consistency of porridge.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature with a salad or some plain yoghurt and pita bread.

http://www.cooksister.com/2009/10/announcing-my-legume-love-affair-the-16th-helping.html

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-legume-love-affair-host-lineup.html

Comments

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1. 

   Reply

   Dana says:

   Hi,

   Here’s a lentils recipe that was originally inspired by the Egyptian Koushari, but I am afraid it now resembles anything but Kosahri:) I hope you’ll like it.

   Main ingredients (2 generous servings or more)

   1/2 cup small brown or green lentils
   1/2 cup quinoa (double protein punch)
   1/4 lb angel hair pasta (I use fresh tricolor angle hair pasta from Lucido’s Dallas)
   1 bunch cilantro
   1 bunch italian parsley
   6 gloves garlic
   6 oz jar of tomato paste
   1 Tbs of cumin powder
   2 Tbs of white vinegar
   4 Tbs of olive oil
   salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

   Method:
   1. Boil lentils until tender. Drain and set aside.
   2. Wash quinoa under running water then cook in 1 cup water for 15 minutes until tender and fluffy.
   3. Cook pasta till it is al dente. Drain and set aside.
   4. Mix the herbs, spices, tomato paste, oil and vinegar and blend in a food processor till they have a pesto-like consistency.

   Assemble dish by first putting a layer of pasta, followed by a layer of quinoa, then a layer of lentils. Slather with pesto. I like mine warm so I heat each serving in the microwave for 1~2 minutes.

   Sahtein!

   On October 31, 2009 at 8:02 pm

   • 

     Reply

     Joumana says:

     Dana,
     Thanks so much for this recipe. I am going to try it this coming week. It is so exciting, I have never tried quinoa before!

     On October 31, 2009 at 10:21 pm

2. 

   Reply

   Arthur says:

   We have a few wheat intolerant people at a dinner I made this for so I used quinoa instead – turned out great! We also used dehydrated sprouted mung beans, they rehydrated pretty quickly. Thanks!!

   On August 28, 2011 at 6:18 pm