The arrival of spring also signals the weather gradually reaching its peak season, with humidity and dampness becoming increasingly troublesome. During this time, regulating the body through soups and congees that strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness is beneficial. Beyond potent Chinese medicinal foods like smilax glabra and adzuki beans, green vegetables can also help eliminate dampness. For instance, the spleen-strengthening and dampness-dispelling effects of mung beans are particularly pronounced.
Cook Lentils Thoroughly to Prevent Poisoning
Lentils, hailed as the "King of Beans," are also known as mung beans, tea beans, southern lentils, or vine beans. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that lentils, with their sweet taste, enter the spleen and stomach meridians. They primarily address spleen deficiency with dampness, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, and edema.Traditional Chinese medical texts describe mung beans as having a sweet yet mild flavor, a fragrant aroma without sharpness, a gentle nature, and a slightly yellow hue—qualities most harmonious with the spleen. They serve as an excellent tonic for the spleen without causing greasiness, and effectively eliminate dampness without causing dryness.
Mung beans are rich in nutrients, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, various vitamins, and dietary fiber. Their pods are particularly abundant in B vitamins.It is crucial to note that poisoning incidents involving mung beans occur frequently. This is because natural toxins within the beans, such as lectins and saponins, are heat-resistant. Only heating them to 100°C for an extended period can effectively destroy these toxins. Therefore, whether at home or dining out, ensure mung beans are thoroughly cooked before consumption.
The seed coat of mung beans shares similar properties and functions with the beans themselves, though its efficacy is slightly weaker. However, it lacks the potential for stagnation and is used for spleen deficiency diarrhea, edema, clearing heat, and removing dampness.Earth corresponds to the spleen. Overeating damages the spleen. Symptoms like abdominal distension, diarrhea, fatigue, shortness of breath, loose ligaments and muscles, and body edema indicate the need to nourish the spleen. Below are six mung bean recipes to strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness.
Recipe 1: Mung Bean and Lean Pork Soup
Ingredients: 100g mung beans, 1/4 dried tangerine peel, 400g lean pork, salt, ginger to taste.
Method:
1. Cut pork into chunks and rinse. Remove the pith from dried tangerine peel. Slice ginger.
2. Place all ingredients from step 1 into a pot. Add water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1–1.5 hours. Season with salt to taste.
This soup clears heat, dispels dampness, and alleviates spleen deficiency with dampness stagnation.
Dietary Therapy #2: Braised Green Beans with Noodles
Ingredients: 250g green beans, 250g noodles, 75g sliced pork, chopped scallions and shredded ginger to taste, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp soy sauce, salt and MSG to taste.
Method:
1. Remove strings from both ends of the lentils and break into two sections; cut noodles into 10cm-long segments.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil. Sauté chopped scallions and shredded ginger until fragrant, then add pork slices. Stir-fry until meat turns white. Pour in soy sauce. Once soy sauce bubbles, add lentils. Stir-fry until lentils turn bright green. Add water (slightly below lentil level).
3. Once boiling, gently separate the noodles and arrange them evenly over the beans. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for several minutes. Lift lid to check bean tenderness and liquid level. When liquid is nearly absorbed and beans are tender, turn off heat. Add salt, MSG, and garlic cloves. Toss thoroughly with chopsticks.
Dietary Therapy #3: Broad Bean Cake
Ingredients: 500g broad beans, 375g granulated sugar, 200g red bean paste filling, a pinch of red food coloring.
Method:
1. Wash the lentils and soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Once the skins soften, remove them. Place the lentils in a large bowl, cover with water, add a few drops of alkaline water, and steam until very tender. Remove, cool, then mash into a paste using a mesh sieve while still wet. Wrap in a clean cloth and squeeze out excess moisture. The lentils will form a paste, which can be refrigerated for about 30 minutes.
2. Dye half of the granulated sugar red with food coloring.
3.Sandwich the lentil paste between two cloths and press into a thin sheet measuring 33 cm long and 20 cm wide. Place flat on a cutting board, remove the cloth, and cut in half lengthwise. Spread red bean paste evenly over one half, cover with the other half of lentil paste, then sprinkle with red sugar. Finally, cover with white sugar and press flat to form five layers. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces to serve.Key Points for Broad Bean Cake Preparation: Spread bean paste and red bean filling evenly. Cut into uniformly sized pieces.
Dietary Therapy #4: Dry-Fried Broad Beans
Ingredients: 150g minced meat, 400g broad beans; 4 dried chili peppers, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, minced pickled mustard greens, Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, salt, MSG to taste.
Method:
1. Remove tough ends from lentils, snap into sections, wash, and drain.
2. Heat 250g oil. Add lentils and fry until skin wrinkles. Drain thoroughly using a strainer.
3.In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Stir-fry dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, pickled mustard greens, and garlic until fragrant. Add dark soy sauce and green beans, stir-frying until beans are tender. Remove from heat, season with salt and MSG, and toss to combine.
Dietary Therapy #5: Stir-Fried Eggs with Green Beans in Sauce
Ingredients: Green beans, eggs, ginger, garlic, preferred sauce (red oil bean paste used here), salt.
Method:
1. Wash the green beans, remove tough strings, and cut diagonally into sections. Slice ginger and garlic into thin pieces.
2. Beat eggs, adding a few drops of cooking wine and water.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Scramble eggs until mostly set, then turn off the heat. Use a spatula to break into small pieces.
4. Heat oil in another pan. Sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add green beans and stir-fry until slightly darkened. Add sauce and continue stir-frying until beans are nearly tender, adding a splash of water if needed.
5. Once beans are cooked, add scrambled eggs and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste (usually not needed).