Mung beans and Rice

Mung, rice, oxtails

Mung beans (pronounced: moong, also known as dal) and rice makes an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish.   I suppose you can make it in a rice cooker, but I have made rice in a rice cooker only once, just to see how it works.  I find it actually easier to do it in a non-stick pan.  Just add liquid and voila!

But to get the most out of this dish, I wash the rice and soak the beans before cooking them.  The soaking ensures that the beans and rice cook at the same time (otherwise they take much longer to cook).  Rinsing the rice makes it less starchy and thus much nicer texture the next day.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice (rinsed)
1/4 cup mung beans (soaked for at least a half hour)
2 cups liquid (I used chicken stock)
Spices (salt, coriander, cumin) to taste (I used about a large tsp of cumin and coriander each but I tend to go heavy on those)

Steps:
1. Soak the beans for at least a half hour, but not more 2 hours. Rinse the rice a few times till the water isn’t so cloudy from the starch. I usually rinse about 3 times.
2. Add water to the non-stick pan and add the rice and beans. Add spices. Cover and let come to a boil.
3. Once the liquid has boiled, reduce the heat to low and let cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the water is evaporated and the rice and beans are soft enough to eat.

Soaking mung beans

Mung beans, rice, and spices

Mung beans, rice, spices, cooking