Mung bean starch is a type of fine-textured gluten-free flour made by extracting the starch out from mung beans. In Indonesia, this type of starch is mainly used to make traditional desserts.
What is Mung Bean Starch?
Mung bean starch is the starch derived from mung beans. The starch is white in color. When cooked, the starch will thicken and yield a soft, smooth, and bouncy jelly texture. It is gluten-free, high in fiber, and also nutritionally beneficial. In addition, it is high in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, among other useful dietary minerals, making it a reasonably nutritious addition to the diet.
Mung bean starch is a thickener commonly used in Asian cuisine. Moreover, it is mainly used in making several varieties of thin, transparent noodles referred to as cellophane noodles and various traditional desserts.
What Does Mung Bean Starch Taste Like?
It is mostly flavorless, and thus adds texture rather than taste. It is a bland powder that is usually used to thicken dishes.
Is Mung Bean Starch Glutten Free?
The starch is made from mung beans, meaning that it is gluten-free. For those with gluten intolerance, this is a major advantage.
Mung Bean Starch vs Mung Bean Flour
Mung bean starch and mung bean flour are different and not interchangeable. Each gives a different result in cooking and baking. Mung bean starch is made by extracting the starch out from the beans. Meanwhile, the flour is made by grinding the whole dehulled mung beans. You can easily differentiate them by color. The starch is white in color and the flour is kinda beige in color.
Where to Buy?
In Indonesia, the powder is sold in oblong paper packaging with “tepung hunkwe” label. You may find the starch sold in plastic packaging at many Asian, Chinese, or Korean markets outside of Indonesia. It is sometimes mislabeled as “green bean starch”, probably because mung beans look like green beans in the pod. If you can’t find any, you can also buy mung bean starch online.
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