Mung bean falafels – crunchy, vibrant and delicious!
Posted on June 19, 2017 by in vegetarian
Mung Bean Falafels are just so much better than the chickpea version.
These green Mung Bean Falafels are so funky and I loved the crunchy texture. I loved the process, because you have to sprout the mung beans first, but that is the coolest thing ever. So one packet of mung beans yield enough for a crunchy salad and a whole plate of these falafels. Best part of it all, is that I paid only R20 for a 500g packet.
I have been eyeing the packets of mung beans for a while now, then when I Google for recipes, everything looks grey and almost murky, like cooked lentils. Kind of disappointing if the best part is the vibrant green I so love. So took to Pinterest and saw a recipe for Mung Bean burgers that was beautiful and green. I decided on Mung Bean Falafels, because I don’t think my family is ready for a mung bean burger. They prefer a juicy beef burger!
O arrived home with the mung beans and emptied the packet in a bowl where it stood for a couple of days. My children had hours of fun, just playing with the mung beans, running it through their fingers etc. To such an extent that I had to buy a new packet for cooking and leave that one for “touch therapy”.
As I’ve said, this is not a recipe you make on the spur of the moment. You have to sprout the beans first, but that is part of the fun.
How to Sprout Mung Beans
Mung Bean Falafels
makes 25 mung beans
Ingredients
500 g mung beans – sprouted
2 green chilies – finely chopped
1 handful chopped coriander
10 – 15 ml cumin
5 ml salt
10 cm piece ginger – grated
2 cloves garlic – grated
2 medium – sized cooked sweet potatoes
1 egg
vegetable oil for frying
Method
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until it comes together in a mix you can mould. Heat the oil in a wok of pot and use to dessert spoons to shape the falafels and fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen towels.
Serve with the following dip.
Labneh Dip
1 jar Bedouin Labneh – mint flavor
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 T chopped mint
a little of the oil from the jar
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dip and serve with the warm falafels.