Split Mung Beans
Split mung beans are mung beans that have been stripped of their hull and then cleaned and split. They are small, yellow, and are quick to cook.
What are Split Mung Beans?
Whole mung beans have green skin and are very tiny. When the skin is removed in processing, the beans are split as well, exposing their pale to dark yellow insides. At this point, they are called “split mung beans” or “yellow mung beans”.
What Do Split Mung Beans Taste Like?
Split mung beans are widely used in Indian cuisine for soups, curries, and lentils. In many Asian cuisines, they are often found in desserts. These small, yellow beans are soft and tender when fully cooked. They have a creamy texture and a mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavor.
Mung Beans vs Split Mung Beans
Mung beans refer to the whole, intact beans that are encased in green husks. Meanwhile, split mung beans are basically mung beans that have been split in half with the skin or husk removed. Split mung beans have slightly less dietary fiber and will cook faster than whole mung beans.
Do You Need to Soak Split Mung Beans?
Mung beans are small and quick to cook compared to other beans like black beans or chickpeas. No soaking is required before cooking. Of course, you can soak your mung beans if you prefer. Soaking them before cooking will help shorten the cooking time.
Since split mung beans have been split in half and the skin removed, you only need to soak half the time of whole mung beans. So, 30-60 minutes is enough to soak the split mung beans.
Where to Buy
Natural food stores, some well-stocked grocery stores, Asian supermarkets, and Indian grocery stores may carry split mung beans. If you can’t find any at your nearby grocery store, you can buy mung beans online. They are sometimes labeled as “moong dal”, “mung dal”, or “yellow mung beans”.
