Sprouted Mung Bean and Coconut Fritters

You’ve probably never been working away in the kitchen and had the thought, “what I really need is a good sprouted mung bean fritter recipe.”

Neither have I.

But I spend a lot of time thinking about food, and this means I spend a lot of time thinking up kitchen adventures. A week or so ago I decided I wanted to sprout some mung beans. I’ve never tried sprouting before. (Well, maybe once in 2nd grade I sprouted a lima bean in a plastic baggy with a wet paper towel, but I’m not sure that counts). But I do know that I love sprouts. They have that distinctive “sprouty” taste. (How else would you describe it?) I followed a tutorial on Addicted to Veggies for sprouting red quinoa and it worked perfectly.

Then I had my sprouts, but I didn’t really have anything to do with them. I munched on them plain, but I had a lot of sprouts. And Mike wasn’t helping. I needed a dish. Luckily that same impulse that made me sprout mung beans also told me I should make some fritters. (Also not something I do, ever.) So here’s a recipe you probably were never asking for, but it is pretty tasty — and good if you’re feeling a bit on the wacky side.

Sprouted Mung Bean and Coconut Fritters

• 2/3 cup sorghum flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup sprouted mung beans
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• thumb sized piece of ginger, finely minced (1 heaping tablespoon)
• 2 green onions, minced (1 tablespoon)
• peanut oil

1. Pour about 2 inches of oil in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot or wok. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix the sorghum flour, baking powder, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg and coconut milk together, then stir into the flour mixture. It should look like you have a thick pancake batter. If it’s a little too thick, add a couple splashes of coconut milk.
3. Add the mung beans, shredded coconut, ginger, and green onions. Mix well.
4. When the oil is hot enough, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Only fry 3 or 4 at a time. Fry about 1 1/2 minutes per side, until fritter is golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain, then place on paper towels or paper to absorb the oil. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Serve immediately.

Makes ~15 fritters

I know mung beans aren’t the easiest bean to come by, so if you can’t find them I suggest using lentils.

I used sorghum flour because it’s probably my favorite gluten-free flour, but I think rice flour, especially sweet white rice flour would be great. Or maybe some chickpea flour (also called besan).

I’m also sharing this recipe in Full Plate Thursday and These Chicks Cooked.