Queen of Pulse Fritters with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Name: Queen of Pulse Fritters with Sweet Chilli Sauce
Total time: 1800 s
Yield: 9 - 12 fritters
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: Fritters:; 200 g (1 cup) green mung beans; 1 egg; 3/4 tsp baking powder; 3 large spring onions, chopped; large handful coriander leaves, chopped; 2-3 fresh red chillies, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 5 small fresh lemongrass leaves chopped or 1 tsp paste; 1 tsp palm sugar, grated; 2 tbsps lemon juice; 1 tsp salt; Sweet chilli dip:; 1 red chilli, finely chopped; 25 mls water; pinch cornflour; pinch salt; 75 ml rice wine vinegar; 150 g caster sugar; 2 tsps fish sauce; 1/2 garlic clove, crushed; 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

The mung (moong) bean is a small dried green bean and is an integral part of many forms of Asian cuisines. In fact, Chinese bean sprouts are sprouted from mung beans.

In Ayurveda, the mung bean is considered the Queen of Pulses and a superfood because it is chocked full of micronutrients. It is one of the best sources of low acid-forming plant-proteins as well as being rich in potassium, magnesium and fibre.

The mung bean is thought to have originated from the Indian subcontinent where it was domesticated as early as 1500 BCE. It is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, low-input crop and is widely cultivated in Asia and in dry regions of southern Europe and the warmer parts of America and Canada.

In India, China, Korea and Thailand, mung bean fritters are a popular street food dish. These fritters are flavoured with chilli, garlic, spring onions, coriander and freshly picked lemongrass leaves and accompanied by sweet chilli sauce.

The Aztecs are thought to have used chilies up until 7000 BCE but no-one knows for sure where ‘sweet chilli sauce’ originates - some say it’s from the Guangdong province of China, some even suggest it is from Australia but we mostly associate it with Thailand and refer to it as Thai sweet chilli sauce.

Sweet chilli sauce is great as a dipping sauce for fritters. It is sweet, savoury, tangy yet spicy and compliments these nutrient-packed balls of delight.

The mung (moong) bean is a small dried green bean and is an integral part of many forms of Asian cuisines. In fact, Chinese bean sprouts are sprouted from mung beans.

Sweet chilli sauce is great as a dipping sauce for fritters. It is sweet, savoury, tangy yet spicy and compliments these nutrient-packed balls of delight.

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

The mung (moong) bean is a small dried green bean and is an integral part of many forms of Asian cuisines. In fact, Chinese bean sprouts are sprouted from mung beans.

Sweet chilli sauce is great as a dipping sauce for fritters. It is sweet, savoury, tangy yet spicy and compliments these nutrient-packed balls of delight.

The mung (moong) bean is a small dried green bean and is an integral part of many forms of Asian cuisines. In fact, Chinese bean sprouts are sprouted from mung beans.

Sweet chilli sauce is great as a dipping sauce for fritters. It is sweet, savoury, tangy yet spicy and compliments these nutrient-packed balls of delight.

Saved

Ingredients

30 minutes plus overnight soaking time

9 - 12 fritters

Fritters:
200 g (1 cup)green mung beans
1egg
3/4 tspbaking powder
3large spring onions, chopped
large handful coriander leaves, chopped
2-3fresh red chillies, chopped
4 clovesgarlic, chopped
5small fresh lemongrass leaves chopped or 1 tsp paste
1 tsppalm sugar, grated
2 tbspslemon juice
1 tspsalt
Sweet chilli dip:
1red chilli, finely chopped
25 mlswater
pinchcornflour
pinchsalt
75 mlrice wine vinegar
150 gcaster sugar
2tsps fish sauce
1/2garlic clove, crushed
1 tspfresh ginger, grated

Saved

Steps

30 minutes plus overnight soaking time

1

Beans: First wash thoroughly until the water runs clear. Rinse and soak the beans for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. They will double in size so make sure they have plenty of water. Rinse again.
2

Dip: Mix the water and cornflour together to dilute the cornflour. Place all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, whisk in the water and cornflour solution and boil for another 1-2 minutes until it thickens, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3

Beans: Drain and grind the beans to a coarse mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4

If frying, the mixture should be quite sloppy. Heat a pan with oil and place a spoonful of the mixture in the hot oil. When brown, flip over and cook on the other side. Drain on absorbent paper.
If baking, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Add a little flour to make the mixture a little firmer, mould into rounds and place on a lined baking tray. Spray with a little oil and bake at 200 degrees C for 12-15 minutes, flip and bake for a further 12-15 minutes on the other side.