Mung Bean Recipe
A perfect dish for staving off the summer heat, releasing excesses from the body, treating overheating, rashes and disorders triggered by heat or emotions.
Ingredients
1 cup mung beans
6 ounces pork, shrimp or chicken sliced into thin small pieces
1 bunch spinach washed
1 cup chopped kale or chard
2 medium tomato cubed
1 medium onion cubed
4 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
6 cups bone broth or stock
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a cooking pot.
2. Saute garlic, onion, and tomato.
3. Add the pork/shrimp or chicken. Cook until the protein is almost cooked. (if using shrimp set shrimp aside and add back into pot last 3 mins)
4. Pour broth into the pot. Let boil
5. Add the mung beans. Cover and adjust the heat between low to medium. Continue to cook until the mung beans become tender. Add more water or broth, if necessary.
6. Put the kale/chard and spinach in the cooking pot. (if using shrimp put shrimp back into pot) Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add ground black pepper and tamari or soy sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with rice or rice noodles. Salt and pepper to taste.
mung beans-one of the most important beans therapeutically, cleanse the heart and vascular system, reduce toxicity, cooling nature, sweet flavor beneficial to liver and gall bladder, produces yin fluids, alleviates damp-heat in the body, diuretic, reduces swelling. Useful in treatment of high blood pressure, acidosis and gastro-intestinal ulcers. Mung soup treats inflamed skin outbreaks, summer heat, thirst
pork- neutral thermal nature, sweet and salty flavor. Moistens dryness, nurtures yin. Used to treat nervous and weak constitution, dry cough, constipation
shrimp- warming and sweet, enhances yang, increases qi energy, overcomes wind conditions, increases lactation, discharges mucus
chicken- warming and sweet, qi energy tonic, increases jing essence, improves condition of bone marrow. Used in conditions resulting from spleen-pancreas imbalances like poor appetite, anorexia, edema, diarrhea, diabetes, weakness following childbirth
spinach- cooling and sweet, builds blood, stops bleeding, laxative, moistens dryness of the body, quenches thirst, cleanses blood of toxins that cause skin disease and redness/inflammation. Treats constipation and urinary difficulty. Rich in iron and chlorophyll, builds blood, helps with night blindness.
kale- warming, sweet and slightly bitter-pungent, eases lung congestion, its juice can treat stomach and duodenal ulcers, good source of chlorophyll, calcium, iron and vitamin A
bittermelon- yin cooling, bitter, encourages energy of the body to descend, lowers fever, dry fluids and drain dampness, reduce inflammation, clears heat, clears stagnancy and cools heat in the liver, removes mucus/heat conditions in the lungs, tonifies kidney and lungs.
tomato- cooling, sweet and sour, builds yin fluids, relieves dryness and thirst, tonifies stomach, cleans liver, purifies blood, detoxifies body in general, encourages digestion. Relieves liver heart and accompanying symptoms(high blood pressure, red eyes, headaches), can treat stagnant blood in the body.
onion- warming, pungent, moves energy thru body, resolve blood stagnation, reduce clotting, expel coldness. Rich in sulfur- purifies the body, helps protein/amino acid metabolism. Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, decreases phlegm and inflammation of nose and throat, inhibits allergic reactions, induces sweating
garlic- warming, pungent, moves energy thru body, resolves blood stagnation, reduces clotting, expels coldness. Rich in sulfur- purifies the body, helps protein/amino acid metabolism. promotes circulation and sweating, removes abdominal obstructions and stagnant food, inhibits viruses, promotes growth of healthy intestinal flora
black pepper- best if fresh ground using whole peppercorns. Stimulates warming flow of energy in the body, specifically the abdomen and can treat diarrhea. Counteracts food poisoning and indigestion.
tamari- descends, grounds, tonifies kidneys,
bone broth- Benefits of bone broth include boosting the immune system, strengthening bones and joints with the gelatin, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium rendered, improving and nourishing the skin with collagen. Used especially for those with digestive difficulties, those recuperating from long illness, surgery or post-partum. It tonifys the Yin and fluids needed to nourish and balance the body.