They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds. —Mexican Proverb
Growing up, there was no food that I didn’t like more than green mung bean curry. I won’t even mention, here on a food blog, what I thought it looked like. But, take those same mung beans and let them sprout and then make a curry, magically, the result would be my favourite food.
I make sprouted bean curry the way my parents did— with adzuki (chori) beans, as well as, moth (muthia) beans. This is an easy way for me to include these lesser popular pulses into our diet. Although, mung and adzuki beans are easy to find, you may need to go to an Indian grocery store to find moth beans. Also, as adzuki and moth beans need longer to sprout, they will not sprout as much as the mung beans.
My method for sprouting the beans is slightly different from the jar method popular these days on the internet. My preferred method is simply putting the soaked beans in a colander, setting it over a bowl and putting a plate over the whole set up. It works perfectly each time.
How to Sprout Beans
You will need a colander that fits snug over a bowl (see photo above) and a plate large enough to cover the colander.
- 100 g (1/2 cup) whole green mung beans
- 25 g (2 tbsp) moth beans (muthia)
- 25 g (2 tbsp) adzuki beans (red chori)
- Place the beans in a large bowl and wash and rinse them using warm water.
- Fill the bowl with warm water, cover with a plate and allow the beans to soak overnight (at least 8-10 hours).
- In the morning, strain the beans using a colander and rinse with warm water. Place the colander over the bowl and place a plate over the colander. Some water will drip into the bowl… no problem, in fact, this is what you want as this will ensure a humid environment for the beans to sprout. You can even deliberately add some water to the bowl but be sure that the bottom of the colander does not touch the water surface. Very important: be sure to smell the beans before you leave them to sprout. You will need to compare to this smell once the beans have sprouted. Also, if you are using a glass bowl, be sure to wrap a tea towel around the bowl to prevent any light from going through.
- Let this setup sit on your kitchen counter, undisturbed for at least 30-32 hours. Choose an undisturbed corner, free from a draft.
- Once sprouted, smell the beans again… they should smell the same as before, in which case, they are ready to use. You may want to rinse them before using. In some instances, during the sprouting process, some fungus or mold may start to grow and you will have to throw away the beans and start again. Even if you don’t see any fungus or mold, the smell will be a dead giveaway. If you are careful with steps 1-4 and work in a clean environment, you should not have this issue.
Indian Bean Sprouts Dry Curry (Gujarati Suku Vadhu)
- sprouted beans from above, rinsed
- 20 g onion, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp methi seeds
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder or 1/2 fresh green chili, finely minced
- Heat oil in a medium pot.
- Add methi and mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
- Add the sprouted beans, along with onions, garlic and spices.
- Stir gently to just mix.
- Cover and cook on very low heat for 25 minutes. You can check every so often to ensure that the base is not burning. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if it looks too dry.
- Serve with rice or roti.
conifères & feuillus 
Your photos of spices are really beautiful… enhanced the power of spices in a meal. 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you so much Jessica!
i am so so glad i found your blog today! your pictures are incredible! you make the food really come alive
Thank you Kristina! You are so kind!
You said, “It’s not the most popular Indian dish..” but as always the overall appearance is impressive. A simple dish can be delightfully attractive by how it is arranged and presented to your audiences, which is why people like me keep coming back to enjoy new surprises. Awesome work Annika!!
Thank you darling. you are so kind. xo
Excellent piece, I am extremely in love with your pictures!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Fab post, Annika. Sprouting is such a fabulous process – you feel so connected to the natural way of things. To then cook with them – such a treat. And a curry! Looks so delicious xx
And a what a difference it makes to the taste! Thank you darling!
what flour do you use to make your chapatis? I have never tried sprouted beans, looks very healthy! i have to give them a go!
I use a combination of white whole wheat flour and brown whole wheat flour… using only white whole wheat, the chapatis are hard to roll out, using only brown whole wheat, the texture is tougher. I rarely ever measure but its about half/half.. i have a post on it, search for “roti”. Apparently, sprouted beans are healthier. There’s no need to cook them with Indian spices… just salt and pepper would be good enough! Do give it a try!
So nicely done! Loving this totally!
Thank you dear Vidya!
I’m curious. Is there a reason for sprouting the beans before cooking them? I can’t say I’ve ever seen adzuki beans sprouted before.
For me, it’s simply the taste…but apparently, sprouted beans are healthier! Do give it a try Rini!
What an interesting dish Annika, never knew you could make a curry from beansprouts. Looks beautiful.
It’s not the most popular Indian dish.. I have never seen it served at an Indian restaurant but well worth making at home. Thank you Myra!
Your sprouting method looks like a good one. I’ve read that the mung beans will be bitter if they don’t sprout in the dark so I put them in the cupboard where I inevitably forget about them!
Thank you… and thank you for reminding me to add this to the post… yes, they do need darkness. Even with a glass jar, it is best to wrap with a thick cloth to keep the light away. Do give my method a try!
Such a delicious and flavorful curry! Sprouted beans are so healthy! I would love to try it!
Do give it a try… no need to add Indian spices, just salt and pepper is sufficient!