Mung Bean and Coconut Milk Soup

Collecting recipes is an insatiable habit of mine. Not only do I own a few shelves worth of cookbooks, some of them quite thick, I frequently borrow them from the library and have an ongoing list of books I intend to purchase. I also have two fat binders worth of recipe clippings and photocopies. As I also happen to visit several food sites each day, my inbox has been turned into a cookbook of sorts because I email myself recipes and don't get around to printing them as soon as I should. It doesn't help that my printer is not always willing to cooperate.

This Mung Bean Soup with Coconut Milk is from Almost Turkish, and was only recently rescued from my inbox. I've made a few minor changes but essentially followed the original recipe. I can honestly say, this is one of the tastiest mung bean soups I have ever eaten. The finely chopped ingredients and addition of a grated carrot make for a delightful creamy, yet chunky bowl of warming soup.

Mung Bean and Coconut Milk Soup

1 cup of dry mung beans
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 carrot, grated
1 large jalapeno pepper, minced
3 - 4 green onions, finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated or minced
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
generous 1/2 teaspoon of hot curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
dash of cayenne
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

3 cups of water
1 can of coconut milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup of chopped parsley

Rinse the mung beans, cover with water, and soak overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Now add the green onions, jalapeno pepper and carrot, stirring and frying for another few minutes.

Add the tomatoes, spices, mustard seeds, and salt and pepper to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the water and add the mung beans. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the mung beans soften up. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. Garnish each bowl with some of the chopped herb and a bit of fresh lemon juice if desired.

Serves 4 - 6