Goodies from the Indian Market

While waiting for dinner at Shalimar, I ventured into the Indian market next door to check out the produce. Whoo hoo! I scored some sprouted mung beans and mango ginger!


In Indian cooking, mango ginger is enjoyed as a pickle. That explains why there were three big bins full of them. It is supposed to taste like raw mango. Since I only bought a handful of the ginger, I'm going to steep it in some coconut milk for a curry.

The mung bean sprouts that are enjoyed in Indian cuisine are the same sprouts used in Chinese cooking. The only difference is that Indian cooks use the bean sprouts when the sprouts are teeny tiny. They're sweeter and nuttier than eating an unsprouted mung bean, and they're very easy to make at home. Just soak your dried mung beans overnight (about 12 hours), drain, then cover them with a damp towel. Keep them out of the sunlight, in a cool dark place, and let them do their beany magic for 2 -3 days. Oh, and do remember to rinse the sprouts every 12 hours or so. When you want to stop the sprouting, stick 'em in the 'fridge. Easy!