Mung beans, mature seeds, raw

Whole dried mung beans need a soak or a long simmer to soften, but they cook faster than most dried beans and hold their shape well, which is why they turn up in dals, soups and coconut-milk curries across South and Southeast Asian kitchens. Sprouted, the same bean becomes the crisp mung bean sprout used raw in salads or briefly stir-fried in noodle dishes and spring rolls. The starch is also processed into mung bean flour, used to make glass noodles and the batter for savory pancakes. Split and hulled (moong dal), the beans cook down quickly into a soft, mild-tasting porridge that takes on the flavor of whatever spices, garlic or ginger they're simmered with, and whole beans can also be pressure-cooked for a faster weeknight dal.

Dried mung beans keep well for a year or more in a sealed container in a cool, dry cupboard; once cooked, refrigerate in their liquid and use within a few days, or freeze cooked beans in portions for later meals. At 347 calories per cup along with 23.9 g of protein and 16.3 g of fiber per 100 g, this is a legume that can anchor a meatless main rather than sit as a side, and it delivers 45% DV magnesium and 37% DV iron alongside that fiber. A cup of cooked mung beans stirred into rice, or ladled over flatbread, turns a simple grain plate into a filling meal, and their low 15 mg sodium per 100 g means the seasoning is entirely up to the cook.