What is Moong, Mung, Green Gram, Whole Moong?

Moong are small, oval-shaped, green legumes belonging to the pea family.
They are a staple ingredient in many Asian cuisines, including Indian, Chinese, and Southeast Asian.
They are known for their versatility, nutritional value, and ease of digestion.

Moong beans are used to make salads, soups, sabzi and other delicious Indian dishes.

Also known as

Mung, Moong beans, Mung beans, Mag, Whole Green Gram

How to select Mung, Moong, Whole Green Gram, Whole Moong?

• Moong is available pre-packaged and in wholesale bins.

• If buying pre-packaged, check the seal of the package, and the date of expiry if mentioned.

• Inspect the beans as well as possible to ensure they are dust-free and without stones, debris and insects.

8 Uses of Mung, Moong, Whole Green Gram, Whole Moong

1. Moong or Green gram is a highly used legume in India. It is used to make delicious subzis like Moong Sprouts Korma and Sprouted Green Gram Ghassi, a Mangalorean curry.

2. Addition of Moong makes appetizing street food! In Maharashtra, the most famous street food, Misal Pav, is made with moong and other legumes to produce a spicy, finger licking preparation. Other street food items that can be made with moong are sukha moong chaat and pav bhaji.

misal pav | maharashtrian misal pav | homemade misal pav

3. Cooked green gram can be used in a variety of snacks including Sprouts dhokla, cheese aloo moong toast and Moong Sprouts and spring onion Tikki.

4. Moong is also used to make pancakes and dosas. In the south they serve Pesarattu, which is a thick dosa made with only a moong sprouts batter.

pesarattu recipe | green moong dosa | Andhra style pesarattu dosa

5. Since it is very healthy, crunchy moong makes a wonderful addition to soups, salads and stir fries.

moong soup recipe | whole green moong dal soup | healthy diabetic moong soup. One serving of moong soup delivers 90% folic acid, 20% fibre, 13% protein, 9% zinc of your Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA).

6. Moong is a versatile legume and that is the reason it is also used in various dals and soups. Cook it with 5 different legumes in Panchratni Dal or just individually in khatta moong dal, it tastes fabulous.

7. It is added to many other Asian cuisine dishes as well like the Vietnamese Spring Roll, or a Indonesian Porridge.

8. Whole moong can also be sprouted and eaten.

sukha moong recipe | Gujarati dry moong | healthy sukha mung | dry whole mung sabzi | One serving of sukha moong delivers 180% folic acid, 30% vitamin B1, 25% protein, 39% fibre, 18% Vitamin B2, 17% Zinc, 21%Magnesium, , 32% phosphorus of your Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA).

How to store Moong, Whole Green Gram, Whole Moong?

• Store moong beans in an airtight container away from moisture and direct sunlight.

Nutritional Information of Moong, Whole Green Gram, Whole Moong

One cup of cooked Moong is 150 grams and comes from 65 grams raw Moong.

RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Nutritional Information for 1 cup cooked Moong.

217 Calories

15.6 grams of Protein

36.8 grams of Carbs

.84 grams of Fat

275 mcg Folate, Vitamin B9 (FA) = 137% of RDA (about 200 mcg)

Full Nutritional details of Moong here.

Health Benefits of Mung, Moong, Whole Green Gram, Whole Moong:

1. Moong Good for Red Blood Cells, Pregnant Women :

Mung is rich in Folate, Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. It is particularly important for pregnant women to have enough folate. They must start having folate rich foods even while they are planning to conceive. Folic acid deficiency in pregnancy can cause neural tube defects in the growing baby. Optimum folate levels need to be maintained before and during pregnancy ⁽¹⁾. Mums-to-be are always looking out for something more interesting to try, so we have come wup Whole Moong Dosa for them.

whole moong dosa recipe | healthy whole moong dosa | protein rich dosa

2. Mung Benefits for Heart :

Being rich in Antioxidants like Flavonoids, mung reduces the damage done by free radicals to the blood vessels and lowers inflammation. They help in the free flow of blood. It works with B vitamins to maintain normal heart rate. Being rich in magnesium which is associated with reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease especially for women ⁽²⁾.

See detailed benefits of moong.

boiled moong

As the name suggests, this refers to moong that has been boiled. You can use two cups of water per cup of moong and cook in a pot with the cover on. This way, it will cook a little faster, use less energy, and perhaps retain more vitamins than open cooking. A faster way is to pressure-cook the soaked moong with or without salt in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Bring the concoction to a boil; then turn down the flame to medium-low. If it gets too thick, add more water. The beans are cooked when they burst and the water turns syrupy. At this point, you may add spices, vegetables or even boiled rice as per your preference and recipe requirements.