Mung beans and potatoes (Mash wbatata)
March 2, 2013 • Category: Main Dish
On a job assignment recently, I met a group of people who all worked for the same company (a mega chain of restaurants and hotels in the Middle-East); they were all native Lebanese, but each one came from a different region. One (the chef) was from Akkar in the North, another was from the South, etc. I asked them what kinds of foods they ate growing up. Each had completely different recollections; in fact, neither had ever tasted the foods that the other had experienced. (One even described homemade pasta with savory sauces called macaroons that is widespread in the country as a sweet donut!). Lebanon is a tiny country (smaller than Connecticut) yet the diversity here is astounding.
Here is one example of a dish I heard about and read about and had to search high and low all over the markets in Beirut for one of its component: Mung beans! Apparently mung beans are consumed in the North but are very hard to find in the capital. This dish is as rustic as it gets. Mung beans are cooked in water and potatoes are added halfway through. Flavor comes at the end by mixing the two with fried onions and adding salt and black pepper.
Recipe is an adaptation of Chef Ramzi’s Min Turath Lubnan. In the recipe, the potatoes end up mashed and I kept them cubed for vanity’s sake (looks better).
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 potatoes, cubed and kept in a bowl of water
- 1 cup of mung beans
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 2 large onions
- salt, black pepper, to taste
METHOD:
- Place the beans in a pot; add three cups of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer the beans for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes until soft and fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and fry the onions till golden. When the potatoes are cooked, add the onions and season to taste. Serve immediately.
NOTE: I would add some lemon juice at the end of cooking for flavor and (why not) a teaspoon of mashed garlic as well.
Comments
19 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
This dish is very original and scrumptious looking! i didn’t know Lebanese people used mung beans…
Cheers,
Rosa
On March 2, 2013 at 9:06 am
Priya says:
Nutritious and fabulous looking mash, drooling here.
On March 2, 2013 at 3:55 pm
zerrin says:
I saw these beans at the market some time ago, but didn’t buy as I wasn’t sure what I could cook with them. They are not so common here, so many people have no idea about it! Thank you for the recipe, now I know what to cook!
On March 2, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Susan says:
What a wonderful way in incorporation this healthy bean into a dish! I love the addition of the fried onions for flavor.
On March 2, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Reena says:
Thank you so much for sharing! So interesting!
On July 30, 2022 at 6:06 am
Joumana Accad says:
@Reena My pleasure!
On July 30, 2022 at 8:44 pm
TW Barritt says:
I’ve heard of mung beans but never tried them – I love these types of rustic dishes!
On March 3, 2013 at 7:06 am
Alaiyo Kiasi-Barnes says:
I love mung beans but haven’t thought to pair them with potato. It seems to be a natural pairing, too! The fried onions are so attractive as a garnish.
On March 3, 2013 at 8:40 am
Habiba Dance says:
That looks so simple and delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
On March 3, 2013 at 11:32 am
Katie@Cozydelicious says:
Amazng that there can be so much culinary richness in a smll country! This looks delicious!
On March 3, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Nami | JOC says:
Mung beans sounds familiar…. Oh, I think some noodles we use in Asian food is made from mung beans but I’ve never eaten the mung beans themselves! Looks delicious!
On March 4, 2013 at 2:32 am
Nadji says:
Je ne me rappelle pas avoir cuisiné de haricots mungo. Mangé oui.
Une recette très tentante. Je vais voir si j’en trouve sur mon marché.
A bientôt
On March 4, 2013 at 2:37 am
Gourmantine says:
It’s such a rustic dish indeed and great for it’s very simplicity. I do wonder though whether some acid is needed to cut through the richness of potatoes?
On March 4, 2013 at 4:55 am
Joumana says:
@Gourmantine: you are right, hence the idea of the lemon juice at the end.
On March 4, 2013 at 5:40 am
Isabelle says:
Pas plus tard qu’hier, j’ai acheté un paquet de mung beans. Je me demandais comment les cuisiner… maintenant je sais ! Merci pour cette recette qui a l’air délicieuse.
On March 5, 2013 at 1:22 am
domi says:
Une bonne recette qui réchauffera nos petits bedons gourmands…bisous et bonne soirée
On March 6, 2013 at 12:48 pm
domi says:
Ou comment faire un plat gourmand avec peu de choses….
On March 14, 2013 at 1:39 pm
Peter says:
No instructions on how to cut the onions, so I finely chopped them
On February 20, 2019 at 8:47 pm