Mung Bean Stew

Spring is a perfect time to cleanse the body!

In the changing seasons of winter moving into spring; we leave the darkness behind and welcome the arrival of longer days. Ayurveda, recognises the natural cycles of nature and the influence each season has on our bodies.

Winter is usually a time when we slow down, eat richer foods, indulge in sweet cakes and comfort treats; exercise less and sleep for longer at night (if you are so lucky!)

With the arrival of spring, as the earth begins to warm, our bodies may start to show signs of coughs, colds, sinus congestion and allergies.

Ayurveda sees the changing of winter into spring and summer into winter as perfect times to detoxify the body of the accumulation of the previous season. The heaviness and dampness of winter and the excess heat of summer.

This mung bean stew makes a highly nutritious and easily digestible meal. Eat lighter meals that are cooked with mild digestive spices like cumin, coriander, a pinch of asafoetida (to prevent bloating), turmeric and black mustard seeds.

If you're feeling sluggish, want to lose weight or have excess mucus add pungent spices like black pepper, cayenne, chilli peppers and plenty of onion and garlic. Ideally, not too much spice in the heat of summer or if you have skin rashes or feel irritable.

Serve as a soup or with steamed bitter greens like kale, spinach, broccoli or greens beans; a squeeze of lemon or lime and coriander leaf to make a delicious lunch.

You’ll need

2 saucepans/or pressure cooker

Pestle and mortar or electric spice grinder

Heat diffuser for even cooking (optional)

Ingredients - Serves 4

Use organic and seasonal veggies, when you can.

1 cup of Mung beans

1 Shallot

1 Clove of garlic

1 Celery stick

100g Fennel bulb

200g Squash - red onion for its creamy texture

1 medium Courgette

1 medium Carrot

1 medium Potato

or any vegetables of your choice

2 cm Kombo seaweed

Handful of Parsley & Coriander leaf

Ghee or coconut oil for cooking

Lemon or lime

750ml vegetable stock (bouillon or homemade stock)

Rock or Himalayan salt

Use whole spices for freshness. Grind using a pestle and mortar or electric seed grinder. This will release the vital essence from the seed.

1 tsp coriander ground

½ tsp black mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin ground

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 cm root ginger

Pinch of asafoetida

Add chillies, black pepper, cayenne, plenty of onion and garlic to remove congestion.

Prepare the mung beans

Wash the mung beans thoroughly and soak overnight. Place the mung beans and kombo in a saucepan and cover with water. Pressure cooker for 15 minutes or simmer in a saucepan for 35 minutes. Use a heat diffuser for even cooking.

Prepare the vegetables

Finely dice the shallot, garlic and root ginger. Dice the fennel, celery and finely slice the leek. Cut the carrot, potato, squash and courgette into medium cubes.

Prepare the stew

Melt a little ghee or coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan. When warm, add the black mustard seeds, cover the saucepan with a lid to stop the hot seeds jumping out of the pan. When the seeds start to pop turn off the heat and wait until they finish popping. Then add the shallots, a little salt and sauté for 1 minute until soft. Add the garlic and root ginger and the ground spices. Continue to cook for one minute. Then add the celery and fennel and sauté for 2 minutes. Add a little stock if this mixture becomes too dry. Finally, add the prepared vegetables, rest of the stock and simmer until the vegetables are soft, around 15 minutes.

Serve as a soup or with rice and steamed greens.

Garnish

Garnish with a squeeze of lemon or lime (lime for Pitta dosha) and coriander leaf!

Enjoy!

Create your own recipe using seasonal organic vegetables!

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