Moong Bean Soup

Pretty

Let’s talk food, specifically brain food.  I’m pretty sure it is safe to say, if it’s good for the brain likely it’s good for other parts or organs of the body.  Certainly most of us know cinnamon is a multi-tasker, in that not only is it quite tasty mixed into our oatmeal or as a star ingredient in our cinnamon rolls, it’s loaded with antioxidants.  Originating from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree, I learned it's the oily compound cinnamaldehyde that is responsible for cinnamon’s ability to help reduce the buildup of tau proteins, those associated with the plaque that interferes with the cells of the brain communicating with one another and for repairing tissue.  Just one gram of cinnamon can have a beneficial effect on blood markers for those dealing with type 2 diabetes.  If you can, make the effort to find Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Madagascar or Seychelles instead of the more prevalent Cassia strain from China and Indonesia.

Turmeric,  probably sitting somewhere in the back of your spice cabinet not only gives curry and rice dishes that beautiful golden, sunburst color but is another champion boxer in the ring of antioxidants.  Best when taken or mixed with pepper, since it’s a tad difficult for our bodies to absorb. The medicinal properties of the curcmin within turmeric, give those nasty free radicals who spend their time and energy creating cancer and wreaking other havoc in our bodies, a run for their money.  Not to mention turmeric also works as an alternative aide in soothing arthritis pain and according to recent research and studies, turmeric is extremely healing for the brain in terms of memory and cognition. Bam!

In it's whole form, turmeric resembles ginger root.  But has a more golden hue. 

While turmeric is not used in American cuisine as much as say, salt and sugar, we can begin to make small changes in our diets that allow us to obtain more of the good and less bad in our weekly intake of food.  Nancy and I now sprinkle a good dash of both cinnamon and turmeric in our coffee grounds when brewing our morning pots. 

Seeing as I can feel the weather just beginning to warm with the evening hours and early mornings still carrying a chill I thought I’d sneak in one more soup recipe before I start talking cold soups and salads.    My go-to choice and Nancy’s as well, is a warm cup of soup with a few wholesome crackers and a cluster of red grapes on the side.  Keeping it light for your last meal of the day allows you to more easily digest the meal, resulting in a more restful sleep and fewer pounds to creep up onto the scale.  

Indian cuisine seems to offer a plethora of recipes incorporating ingredients that are absolutely good for the brain.  One of these is a recent discovery I found at the International Market, the Moong bean or Mung bean.  It looks similar to green lentil beans, which is what I thought I was looking at, yet is used in both sweet, as a paste in pancakes, ice cream and Popsicles and savory dishes, soups and stews.   With a delicate, slightly sweet flavor, you can find these little oval shaped, legumes at Whole Foods and other specialty markets.  You can buy them whole or split and hulled and will find them ranging in color from green to yellow to black.  While they don’t need to be soaked overnight, I did see recipes instructing me to soak them for an hour or so prior to cooking. 

A new fandangled kind of pancake.  Thinking a different type of infused syrup might be called for. 

I'm definitely going to try these!!

After reviewing several recipes and talking to one of my savory chef friends, I decided to prepare a simple Moong and Green Chili soup.  Oooh man! ~ was this ever good!!  Here’s the recipe:

MOONG and GREEN CHILE SOUP

Ingredients

1 cup dry Moong beans                       2 cups vegetable stock                     1 cup water

½ teaspoon turmeric                            salt and pepper to taste                  3 tablespoons ghee*

1 teaspoon mustard seeds                   4 cloves fresh garlic-minced            1 half Spanish onion-minced

2-3 green chilies, seeded and rough chopped             1 fennel bulb – cleaned and thinly sliced

creme fraiche - garnish

Procedure

1)      Rinse beans and soak in clean water for about 1 hour.  Drain, rinse again then set to the side.

2)      To a heavy stock pot or Dutch, over medium heat, add ghee.  Heat until melted then add mustard seeds, cook until seeds start to sputter.

3)      Stir in sliced fennel.  Cook just until fennel begins to soften then add minced garlic, onion and green chilies.

4)      Pour  in vegetable stock and water to pot then add beans.  Bring to a boil then reduce to  simmer.

5)      Season with turmeric, salt and pepper to taste; continue simmering for another 30 minutes.

      Garnish each individual serving with a dollop of creme fraiche.

                                                                                                                     Makes 2-3 Servings

*Ghee:A form of clarified butter - you can purchase at Whole Foods or make yourself.  If you don't know how let me know, I'll include a recipe on our next post :o)