This is a detailed step by step guide on how to sprout mung beans at home, shared along with many different alternative ways of sprouting moong beans at home, including an Instant Pot option to sprout mung beans quickly. Sprouting beans is pretty simple and easy! There is not much to it. There are only two main components to it – first is soaking the bean, till the outer shell cracks open, and then providing it with a suitable environment to sprout. That’s all there is to it. And there are many different ways you can choose to do this, which is what I’ll share with you in this post, along with my personal go-to method for sprouting mung beans, which I’ve found is the quickest, easiest, and most hassle free method to get mung bean sprouts (moong sprouts).
How to Sprout Mung Beans
For sprouting any beans in general, and mung beans in particular, you first need to soak it till the outer shell cracks open, and then set it in an environment that will help the beans sprout. Here’s the step by step method to sprout mung beans, shared along with do’s and don’ts, and pro tips to soak and sprout moong beans faster.
Soaking Mung Beans
Start with properly washing and rinsing the mung beans, at-least 2-3 times, till the water runs sort of clear. After this, soak the mung beans in fresh water, till the outer shell breaks open.It’s very important for the outer shell to crack open before sprouting, for the mung beans to sprout well.
👉 Pro tips to help crack the outer shell faster
Wash, rinse, and soak the mung beans in hot water. Keep the soaked mung beans covered, and in a dark, warm place, while it’s soaking. Depending on the weather of the place you live in / season, you can cover it with a regular lid or a mesh lid. I live in a cool dry place, so I usually cover with a regular lid, and place it inside my oven (turned off), to let it stay in a warm place (this is specially helpful in winters). But if you live in a hot & humid climate, then you can just keep it on the counter, and cover it with a mesh lid to have some ventilation (especially in summers), to avoid any mold growth. In some cases, using filtered water to soak the beans instead of hard water is helpful. But this is not as important as the earlier two points.
⏰ If I soak mung beans in hot water, keep it covered, and let it sit in a dark warm place while soaking, it takes about 12 hours to break the outer shell. When I don’t do that, it can take upto 24 hours to break the shell.
Sprouting Mung Beans
Mung beans require a warm and moist, yet ventilated and dark place to sprout. There are many ways to achieve this. I am sharing three methods, starting with the most traditional one, and ending with my personal go-to method.
1. Muslin Cloth Method for Sprouting Mung Beans
Traditionally, it was common practice to take the soaked and strained mung beans, and tightly wrap it in a muslin cloth, and keep it in a dark warm place for it to sprout, as this method helps the beans germinate faster and the sprouts to grow thicker. And this method works really well. But I personally am too lazy to wash an additional cloth, when it is not absolutely required. So I rarely ever use this method these days. But in case you choose to go with this method, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Tips for sprouting mung beans by wrapping in muslin cloth
Rinse and strain off all the excess water from the mung beans before wrapping it in a muslin cloth to sprout, because excess water can cause the beans to rot, and release a foul odor.Always use a fresh and clean muslin cloth, and it’s ideal to keep a cloth aside specifically for sprouting, and clean & reuse it, to keep things as hygienic as possible.Moisten the cloth before you use it to wrap the mung beans. This way you will not need to sprinkle water every few hours to keep the beans moist. That being said, the cloth should be moist but not dripping wet, because like I mentioned earlier, excess water can cause beans to rot and release a foul odor.Ensure to wrap the mung beans pretty tight, as the pressure will help the beans sprout faster, and the sprouts will be thicker.Set it in a dark and warm place to sprout, away from any direct sunlight.
2. Sprouting Mung Beans in a Jar / Pot / Tray
You can easily sprout mung beans in a jar, pot, tray, or any container of your choice, so long as you keep it in a moist, yet ventilated, and warm dark environment. This method is fairly easy, and was my go-to method before Instant Pot came into the picture. I used to strain off all the excess water from soaked beans, using a colander, and then cover the beans with a moist cloth, and let the beans sprout in the colander itself, just ensuring to keep the colander away from any direct sunlight. If you need a small quantity of sprouts on a daily / regular basis, you can sprout small quantities of soaked & strained beans in a mason jar. You will just need to keep the lid slightly open for ventilation, and depending on the climate of the place you live, sprinkle a little water on the mung beans every few hours, if they dry out. And of-course, let it sit in a warm dark area to sprout.
Tips for sprouting mung beans in a jar / pot / tray
Rinse and strain off all the excess water from the mung beans before setting it to sprout, as excess water can cause the beans to rot, and release a foul odor.No matter which container you go with, ensure you provide a moist, ventilated, warm & dark environment. For instance, if you are sprouting in a colander, the holes will provide required ventilation, but this also might dry out the beans, so it’s ideal to cover it with a moist cloth. And when sprouting in a jar / container like that, ensure to keep it partially open for ventilation, and sprinkle water every few hours to keep it moist, if it starts to dry out. And of-course always set it in a warm dark place to sprout, away from bright lights or direct sunlight.You should get good sprouts in 12 hours. If you need even longer sprouts, then after 12 hours, rinse them, and repeat the process, and give it a few additional hours to sprout. Rinsing will reduce the chances of rotting and foul odor, and also re-moisten the beans.
3. Mung Bean Sprouts using Instant Pot
This is my go-to method these days, as I personally feel that using an Instant Pot is the easiest and quickest method to sprout mung beans. Especially in the kind of cold and dry climate I live in, and particularly during winters, it’s the most fool proof method! The basic idea is the same – to provide a moist, yet ventilated, and warm dark place for the mung beans to sprout. Just adapted to Instant Pot to sprout beans in an easy reliable manner.
Step by step method to sprout mung beans in Instant Pot
How Do You Know When Mung Bean Sprouts Are Ready
The mung bean sprouts are ready when the white sprout has grown to at least 1½ cm in length. Because at this point, the lectins in the bean are converted into digestible proteins for consumption. But of-course you can grow the sprouts even longer if you wish. I usually do.
Key Recipe Notes
Storing Moong Sprouts
It’s best to consume moong sprouts fresh. But if you need to store them, then transfer the sprouts to a sealed glass container, preferably lined with paper towel, and refrigerate. It’s best to use the sprouts within the first 1-2 days, but it will last for a total of 3-4 days in the fridge, if stored well.
Mung Bean Sprouts (Moong Sprouts) Recipes..
⭐️ Spicy Kolhapuri Misal⭐️ Moong Sprouts Salad⭐️ Moong Sprouts Dosa As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
📖 RECIPE
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