in beta-carotene. Culinary Uses Green beans are eaten stir-fried, simmered, added to soups and used in salads. Very young beans are often eaten raw, accompanied with a dip in Thailand, or blanched before they are added to salads in Indonesia. To ensure the beans keep their texture and bright color, be sure not to overcook them; cook them briefly in boiling water, drain, then cool the beans in iced water before draining again.
Drumsticks or Horseradish Tree Pods is the common English name for the fruit of Moringa oleifera. The name derives from the fact that the pungent roots of this tree were used as a substitute for true horseradish by the British in India (the Thais, however, use the root to obtain an orange dye). The young seed pods—commonly referred to as as "drumsticks"—are a very popular vegetable in India and other parts of Asia with large Indian communities'. In Southeast Asia, the young, fern-like green leaves are also eaten, and are particularly popular in the Philippines, where they are known as malunggay. The leaves are frequently plucked from horseradish trees growing in village gardens and are added to vegetable stews and soups.
Appearance & Flavor The young seed pods are long (at least 12 in/30 cm), pale green and thin, with small bumps revealing the seeds inside. The taste is pleasantly mild, with a touch of sweetness. The leaves of the horseradish tree are tiny and delicate, growing in feathery clusters somewhat like acacia leaves. Choosing & Storing If buying fresh drumsticks or seed pods, look for those which are narrow. Avoid buying those that contain well-developed seeds. They can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days. The leaves are generally sold still on the stems. Wrap in kitchen paper and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Preparing Wash the drumsticks, cut into pieces and simmer until soft. Only the soft interior is eaten, and the fibrous skin of the pods is discarded at the table. The leaves should be rinsed thoroughly and drained before cooking. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Drumsticks contain rather high levels of vitamin C as well as calcium, phosphorus and riboflavin. The leaves, which are very rich in vitamins A and C, stimulate digestion and are a diuretic. They are also traditionally used as a poultice for dog bites in India. Culinary Uses Although both the seed pods and leaves are edible, the various uses of the horseradish tree proves that what people eat is often determined by culture rather than the edibility of the actual plant. For example, in India, only the seed pods or drumsticks are eaten, usually in vegetable or lentil stews. In parts of Southeast Asia, only the leaves are consumed in soups or vegetable stews, or dried and deep-fried for a nutritious snack or crispy garnish.
Kidney Beans are the mature seeds of the common green bean (see page 15). In India, where several types of kidney beans are grown, they are known as rajmah. Usually available dried, the beans are dark red in color when fully matured. Fresh kidney beans are sold already shelled in India and in Indonesia.
Appearance & Flavor The most common kidney bean is dark red in color, about 1/3 in (1 cm) in length and distinctly kidney-shaped. Some varieties are smaller and variegated pink and cream. The dark red kidney bean has a good flavor and can be used in either savory or sweet dishes. Choosing & Storing Look for beans which are firm and dry, without any trace of slime. Wrap in a paper towel and keep refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 1 week. Preparing Wash and drain. Fresh kidney beans do not need soaking. Culinary Uses The fresh beans can be prepared in the same way as dried kidney beans, but the cooking time is greatly reduced and the flavor more delicious. They are frequently added to vegetable soups, or cooked in spicy sauces which often use tomato as a main ingredient. Boiled fresh or dried kidney beans are also an excellent ingredient in salads, mixed with other vegetables such as corn and celery.
Long Beans or Snake Beans are known by a greater variety of names than any other legume—cow pea, asparagus bean, yard-long bean (somewhat of an exaggeration) and China pea are among the names for this pleasant-tasting long green bean.
Appearance & Flavor Most commonly found as a plump, pale green bean; other varieties include thinner, darker green pods, as well as very thin, long beans with a purplish black tinge and a tendency to twist. All varieties are flavorful and versatile. The fatter type softens when cooked, but compensates with a sweet flavor. Other varieties remain firm, with a more distinct taste. Choosing & Storing The beans should be crisp. Avoid those with developed seeds as they will be old and dry. The thinner and younger the beans, the better the flavor. Keep refrigerated in a plastic bag for 3-4 days. Preparing Remove the stem end and tip, then cut into bite-sized lengths before cooking. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Long beans are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C and phosphorus, and are used in traditional Chinese tonics for the kidneys and stomach. Culinary Uses Long beans are added to soups, salads and stir-fried dishes. Sections of very young beans are sometimes eaten raw with a dip in Southeast Asia. Dark varieties are preferred for salads, as they keep their color after blanching.
Mung Beans are one of the most widely used beans in Asia. Although perhaps best known for their crisp, succulent sprouts, dried mung beans are also used both whole as well as split. Surprisingly, there are up to 2,000 varieties of mung beans, including the common green mung bean and the yellow and black mung beans.
Appearance & Flavor Mung beans are very small, hard and oblong, with the most common variety having a dark olive green color. The flavor is not particularly interesting, but their nutritional value and versatility more than make up for this. In India, split mung beans (known as moong dal) are available with their skins intact, as well as hulled—which makes them look like very small, yellowish orange lentils. Nutritional & Medicinal Properties Dried mung beans contain approximately 23% protein, and are particularly rich in carbohydrates, calcium and thiamine. They have the benefit of being low in oliosaccharides and are thus easily digested. In India, cooked mung beans are often given to invalids, while in China they are considered a highly suitable food for young children and the very elderly. Culinary Uses Mung beans cook fairly fast, so they do not need soaking and pre-boiling. Whole mung beans are simmered in savory stews, and are also made into a sort of sweet porridge with sugar, often with coconut milk added. Split mung beans are cooked in many savory dishes in India, usually with spices and sometimes with other added vegetables. In China, cooked green mung beans are often simmered and ground to make a sweet paste used as a filling for buns, pancakes and mooncakes, while in Korea, soaked and ground yellow mung beans are cooked with glutinous rice and sugar to make a popular cake. Mung beans are toasted and then ground to make a flour that is used in cakes and sweetmeats in several Southeast Asian countries. In addition, mung bean starch (known as tepong hoen kwe in Indonesia and Malaysia) is used to thicken coconut milk for cakes, or made into a type of noodle known as bean thread or cellophane noodles—or perhaps more colloquially, as tung boon or glass noodles—in Malaysia and Singapore. These noodles have an intriguing jelly-like texture and are used in soups, salads and fillings in many Asian countries.
Mung Bean Sprouts are an important vegetable in much of Asia. They are grown by soaking the beans, then keeping them moist in a dark place for several days until the sprouts or shoots have emerged. There are two major types of bean sprouts, with the one most common in Asia grown from the small, oblong green mung bean, while the other is grown from soy beans.
Appearance & Flavor Mung bean sprouts have small, creamy seed heads, sometimes found with the split greenish black skin clinging to them, with slender, crisp, white shoots usually finishing in a somewhat straggly tail. They are sometimes available with the seed heads and tails removed, and in this form are generally known as silver sprouts. Although they may be more aesthetic in appearance, silver sprouts are actually less nutritious than the whole sprout with the seed head intact. Fresh mung bean sprouts have a delicate flavor and, when raw or only lightly blanched,