Yes, you have to soak them overnight (or for a few hours) first. I use boiling water - you'd think that would kill them but it actually gets them going (I think it's because they have tough skins - other stuff for sprouting I soak in cold water.)
Then you do the usual thing of rinsing them under (cold!) running water twice a day and they're ready after a couple of days. You can do it in a jar although I use one of those plastic tray things.
You don't actually have to sprout them of course but I always seem to.
cool Harpy thanks. I didn't know you could sprout dry beans. I'm always worried my dogs arent getting enough nutrients out of the boiled ones I make them! (and maybe I'll actually like them that way too!) Can I do that with all dried legumes???
I don't think you're meant to do it with kidney beans because of some toxin that they occasionally contain (which means they need to be boiled hard for 10 minutes before eating them). Other than that - I've succeeded in sprouting chick peas, lentils and aduki beans, and no doubt there are others you can sprout.
I mostly tend to do mung beans and then seeds such as alfalfa, radish, broccoli and so on. You can do shelled sunflower seeds as well.
I don't know how digestible your dog will find them raw, even sprouted - I find I need to cook chickpea sprouts a bit but the others I've mentioned are OK for me raw. My cats seem to like stuff like alfalfa sprouts.
You could try them on raw sprouts (apart from kidney beans!) but I wouldn't give them too many at once at first, just in case it has an, er, untoward effect on their tums.
other than sprouting they're pretty nice if you use them alongside other beans in a sort of cottage pie type thing (beans in some sort of ace and tastily concocted sauce and loads of mashed spuds/sweet spuds/parsnips <-- combination of all or any on top)
curries..dahl type stuff..boil em up..combine with other stuff..make some burgers
Last edited by emmapresley; Sep 17th, 2007 at 06:25 PM.
Reason: i can't believe i put 'n' instread of and. *rolls eyes*
ahronli sed ah dunit so thid tek thuh cheyus graytuh offa mi nihbles
I mean I blend them up to be more digestable. I figured if they were sprouted and raw they's still have lots of nutrients, and if they were blended down to a pulp, maybe the dogs could digest them... oh well.. the good thing is (good thing??) I have to scoop the dog poo so I'll pretty much see if they've been digested. I guess I'll have to experiment.
The curry idea is good as well - there's an Indian veggie restaurant here, the Kastoori, where they do a great mung bean curry (only on certain nights of the week though).
Unfortunately I've no idea how it's made but there seem to be a few zillion recipes on the web, including this one http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/2...ean-curry.html
which might be similar as the Kastoori people also arrived via east Africa I think.
I have cooked and blended them with a little water ( as you would with chickpeas for hummus) then added pinch of herbs/spices, diced tomato and red pepper, use in sandwiches or as a dip
Old thread, I see, but will respond anyway. Was also wondering if dried mung beans could be sprouted. We bought some a little while ago and we weren't sure if it would work, glad to know it should!
Was also wondering what to do with them. Stir-fries and sandwiches it is!
I imagine you could also use them where you would use any beans, e.g in soups and stews and (once cooked or sprouted) in salads, Kimberlilly.
I've read you don't even have to soak them before cooking but I probably would (if starting with dried as opposed to sprouted beans) as it usually makes things a bit more digestible and reduces the cooking time.
I imagine you could also use them where you would use any beans, e.g in soups and stews and (once cooked or sprouted) in salads, Kimberlilly.
I've read you don't even have to soak them before cooking but I probably would (if starting with dried as opposed to sprouted beans) as it usually makes things a bit more digestible and reduces the cooking time.
Thanks, I'd been meaning to do that, too, but sprouting them interested me a bit more. Oh, and I always presoak my dried beans (and lately that's all we eat - we've transitioned away from cans).
As mentioned previously, mung beans can be cooked like stew. Soak them in water for a few hours and boil for 40 min to one hour. In about 1 tbsp oil, roast powder spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric . Then stir fry with the spices, coarsely shredded leafy vegetables for example, cabbage or the asian leafy vegetable called bok choy (in Australia) . Even carrots are suitable for this preparation. When vegetables are tender add the boiled mung with the soup and boil for a 1- 2 minutes. Add ground black pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!
This preparation is one of my favourites-- very tasty and nutritious.
How long do mung beans take to sprout without soaking, David? It may depend a bit on what you're growing them in but with the perforated trays I use it might be hard to get enough water into them I would think.
Beetroot seeds take a long time to sprout - several days - even if soaked, and when they do sprout the results aren't that great IME because it's hard to separate the horny seed cases from the sprouts. I'm currently growing some in a saucer of soil and will try harvesting them with scissors.
How long do mung beans take to sprout without soaking, David?
Not long - a few days; I've never really thought about it. All sprouts take different lengths of time and it's never worried me (till trying beetroot!).
harpy
It may depend a bit on what you're growing them in but with the perforated trays I use it might be hard to get enough water into them I would think.
We have dark translucent trays with thin slots and a bottom tray to catch the drips. I turn the tap on and let plenty of water run through, shaking the trays a little. It seems to work, wetting everything.
harpy
Beetroot seeds take a long time to sprout - several days - even if soaked, and when they do sprout the results aren't that great IME because it's hard to separate the horny seed cases from the sprouts. I'm currently growing some in a saucer of soil and will try harvesting them with scissors.
Interesting, thanks! Funnily enough, beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables too.
harpy
I'm a "girl" by the way, not that it matters!
Apologies; stupid me meant to check somehow and forgot. I nearly put s/he...
I would think it matters to someone that you're a girl, no?
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine" - Abraham Lincoln
I'll try not soaking the mung beans sometime and see how it goes. I quite like to have some ready-soaked though because it's handy if I want to throw them into something I'm cooking - doesn't matter if they've actually sprouted, they hardly need any cooking that way.
Hi again, member of the opposite sex going by the name of harpy.
In effect, when I put dry things to sprout and douse them with water, I suppose I'm soaking them anyway!
No luck so far with the beetroot sprouts.
I made some burgers last night using a burger mix I make up myself and I added fresh onion, sage and sprouted soya beans. Wonderful and the beans were almost like peanuts in size and texture, but with lower fat of course.
I was just re-reading Stephen Walsh's excellent Plant Based Nutrition and Health and it looks like most grains and pulses are better slightly sprouted (even if they're to cook), turning phytates into bio-available products.
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine" - Abraham Lincoln
David, you could try putting your beetroot seeds in a plastic bag in an airing cupboard or similar - that seems to make them accelerate a bit, but you have to remember to keep rinsing (I didn't when I tried this and I had to throw them away). The ones I'm growing in compost look OK although they have quite big leaves on them.
Mung beans?
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(I think it's because they have tough skins - other stuff for sprouting I soak in cold water.)
I hope not!
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