I posted a recipe for shepherd's pie a while back, but thought I'd have a go at making one with mung beans this evening... I'm so adventurous that I surprise myself sometimes. Anyway, this very tasty dish has quite a kick to it, is lovely and moist and has a really nice texture. Never underestimate the power of the humble mung! It will feed two extremely hungry hippos, or four moderate munchers if you were to add a nice selection of green veggies when serving.

Ingredients:

6 oz (175 g) mung beans

1 lb 8 oz (700 g) potatoes, peeled and diced

1 oz (30 g) butter, plus a little extra for greasing


1 large onion, finely chopped


1 large carrot, finely chopped


8 oz (225 g) leeks, thinly sliced

1" fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tbsp apple juice

1 heaped tbsp chopped thyme

1 tbsp tomato purée

¼ level tsp ground mace

¼ level tsp ground cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ pint (425 ml) vegetable stock (from Marigold Swiss bouillon powder)

2 oz (50 g) parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp milk

small tin of sweetcorn

Cooking Instructions:

The night before: Wash the mung beans under cold running water, then soak them overnight in four times their volume of cold water. 

Put the potatoes on to boil (leaving them to then simmer until cooked). In the meantime, drain the mung beans, put them into a saucepan and cover with boiling water and a little salt, then boil them for 15-20 minutes, until soft.

While the mung beans are cooking, heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the onion, carrots and leeks for 5 minutes on a low heat (see photo below).

Once the beans are cooked, add them to the leeks and onions, along with the cayenne pepper, thyme, mace, ginger, tomato purée, apple juice, stock and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper (see photo below). Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. The bean and vegetable mixture should be moist without being sloppy.

While the beans and vegetables are simmering, pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the milk and the Parmesan cheese.

Once the beans and vegetables are cooked, move them to a lightly-greased, deep ovenproof dish and top with the sweetcorn and then the mashed potato (see photo below).

Pop the dish into the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown (see photo below).

Bon appétit!