Mung Beans with Paneer Cheese

Paneer cheese is one of my favorite foods. Soon I will be making my own, but if you don't have the time or inclination, you can easily purchase a block of paneer, or a bag of pre-fried cubes at your local Indian grocery store. The following recipe is a flavorful combination of buttery soft mung beans, paneer cheese, tomatoes and spices. It goes very well with subtle rice dishes like Pulao Rice. I've adapted the dish from "Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Vegetarian Cooking" by Yamuna Devi.


As I noted in a previous post, this cookbook was essentially responsible for my interest in Indian cooking in the first place. I received it as a gift shortly after becoming a vegetarian and with the aid of the detailed and easy to follow instructions, I familiarized myself with the essentials of Indian cuisine. I highly recommend it for beginners and veteran Indian chefs alike, as there is a wide range of recipes and processes presented by a proven master of Indian cooking.

Mung Beans and Paneer Cheese

1 1/4 cups of whole mung beans
3 1/4 cups of water
1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric
3/4 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of finely shredded or minced ginger root
6 tablespoons of butter, or ghee or a mixture of oil and butter (use less if pre-fried panir is used)
8-12 ounces (or 200 - 300 grams) of fresh paneer cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, or use pre-fried paneer cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 medium - large tomatoes, diced
3 - 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt or sour cream
2 teaspoons of sea salt
juice from one lemon
4 tablespoons of finely minced fresh parsley or coriander

1. Rinse the mung beans and soak in a bowl of water for at least 5 hours. Drain.

2. Bring the 3 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the turmeric, cayenne, paprika, sweeter, ginger root and 1 tablespoon of butter / oil mixture. Add the beans, reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Gently simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the beans are butter soft but not mashed or broken. Remove the beans from the heat.

Transfer one cup of the beans to a bowl or blender and mash up. Return to the pot of beans. Alternately, use a hand blender to mash a small portion of the beans in the pot.

3. If you are using fresh un-fried panir, heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. When it is hot, add the cheese cubes and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, constantly turning the cubes to brown them evenly on all sides. As they turn crisp and golden, remove the with a slotted spoon and drop them into the cooked beans.

If using pre-fried cheese cubes, add to the pot of beans.

4. Fry the cumin seeds in the remaining oil until they turn brown. Toss in the asafetida powder and garam masala and coriander and immediately add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they turn into a thick paste. Add the tomatoes into the beans, then add the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, parsley and gently mix.

Serves approximately 6 people