SS and I just celebrated 5 years of being together, in Hong Kong. I mention this because while exploring Soho one sleepy Sunday, we stumbled upon a store called Pantry Magic, which transported me back to any good European or American kitchenware stores (picture a Williams Sonoma meets Divertimenti) – from where I took home the pictured gorgeous wok, perfect for cooking up Asian fare at home, without taking up too much space in my already congested pantry cupboard! Now, one Sunday after that purchase was made, I decided to use my Clean Foods cookbook (for much needed detox after last night’s revelry and general HK indulgences!) and repeat this Scallion & Sprouted Mung Bean Sauté with Peanuts which I previously made with some pak choi, but this time left it out.
The reason that I love this quick and simple Scallion & Sprouted Mung Bean Sauté with Peanuts recipe is that you don’t really need a lot of fresh ingredients, but more importantly, it provides a great protein addition to any Asian meal. I hate needing to add tofu to anythingand everything for protein balance. Personal choice for me on any normal day also tends to leans towards any kind of sprouted beans, moong being an all time winner! So when I can across this recipe, I could not help myself. Add any vegetables you like in addition, or not, but always remember this is meant to be a simple dish, with depth of flavour, texture and don’t forget to caramelise the mushrooms patiently.
Remember, mung beans are particularly cooling, cleansing and benefice to the heart. So don’t feel guilty in piling this onto your plate!
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup well rinsed sprouted mung bean
- 3 mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 2 tbs light soy sauce
- 2 tbs water
- 2 tbs rice wine/mirin
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1/2 celery, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sriracha (optional)
- 1 cup pak choy (optional)
- In a medium sized pan/wok, fry up the aromatics (ginger, garlic and celery) until golden and soft. Add in the mushrooms and let them brown for a couple of minutes with half the soy sauce and half the mirin. Add a little water to deglaze the pan, and continue sautéing the mushrooms.
- Add the remaining soya sauce and mirin until nice and brown - but be careful not to burn.
- Remove from heat and fold in the mung beans and peanuts. Dig in with a dot of sriracha, if you fancy!
