With an Instant Pot and less than 30 minutes, you can make PERFECT mung beans every time! Let us show you how.
About Mung Beans
Green mung beans, also known as green gram, have been enjoyed in India and Southeast Asia for centuries. They have become more popular in the US but are still unknown to many! You may be more familiar with them in their sprouted form (mung bean sprouts) as the fresh, crunchy white stems in Pad Thai. But they’re also incredibly delicious when cooked!
Mung beans have a variety of health benefits, including being rich in protein, supporting detoxification, and potentially having anti-fungal activity.
Instant Pot Mung Beans
We love cooking mung beans in the Instant Pot because it’s fast, hands-off, and yields perfectly tender beans!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio = 1 part green mung beans : 3 parts water
- Cook Time = 3-5 minutes (3 minutes for al dente, 5 minutes for more tender)
- Release = 10 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Mung beans go especially well in soups, curries, and bowls.
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Instant Pot Mung Beans (Tender, Fast, No Soaking!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mung beans (green)
- 3 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
Instructions
- Add mung beans and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Pressure cook on high for 3-5 minutes (3 minutes for al dente, 5 for more tender // it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
- Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped and strain off any excess cooking liquid.
- Enjoy immediately in soups, curries, and bowls. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water, as needed, to prevent sticking.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Rani says
Happy to discover at last a clear explanation and easy to follow. thank you from Rajasthan
We’re so glad it’s helpful! Thank you for sharing!
Elena says
Could you please advise me on how to cook mung beans for natto? I tried soaking them and then doing 0 min on high pressure and natural steam release but they turned out too mushy :( maybe i should try no soaking way.
Thank you
Hi Elena, we haven’t made natto, so we aren’t sure about that! The mung beans will cook much faster with soaking. We’d suggest either trying unsoaked mung beans or cooking for less time if they are soaked (they will likely only need a couple minutes). Hope that helps!
gunseli says
If you need it for salad and want the water to be fully absorbed, try with 1:2 ratio. I got the perfect texture with 1:2 ratio, 3 minutes HP + 10 minutes NR for salad. But I’d definitely go with 1:3 when I’m making soup or curry.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Gunseli! xo
Judy M says
I made this as instructed – cooking for 4 minutes for softer than al dente. Beans turned out perfectly for my purpose of making soup. The pressure cooker saved me time. Thanks!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Judy! xo
Hank says
If I use 1/2 cup (green) mung beans how much water do I use?
Hi Hank, we’d recommend 2 cups water.
Lindsay says
If doubling the recipe do you also double the liquid?
Yes
Jean says
Mine came out unevenly cooked. So perfect some harder. (my first time cooking sprounted mung beans.) I think I’d like to try soaking first next time. But thanks :-)
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jean! Is it possible some of them were above the water line?
MB Whitcomb says
Can you freeze the cooked beans? I like to freeze my cooked garbanzo beans and they work great to pull out for soups/salads.
Yes!
Svetlana Orlova says
This did not work in mine. :( Way more time needed.
Oh no! Sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, Svetlana. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Jo says
If you soak mung beans do you remove the skin first before cooking it?
Hmm, we don’t think so.
Asif says
I followed the same recipe – turned out perfect. Will be making it today as well.
It goes perfectly with “lunu Miris” – like a chilli paste and grated coconut on the side (we use frozen).
If you’re feeling unhealthy – add coconut and sugar!!! Amazing!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Asif!
Marie says
Followed your directions and these turned out perfect! Thank you. I had never made mung beans before in my life but got some from the bulk section of our natural food store months ago and finally decided to try them. Wish I hadn’t waited so long! I had some with stir-fried veggies and avocado yesterday, and look forward to experimenting with different dishes this week.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Marie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jo says
I followed the recipe to the T and they came out a bit crunchy. I’m curious why they didn’t come out tender.
Hi Jo, that can happen if the beans are old, you have hard water, or the Instant Pot lid didn’t seal well. You can reseal the Instant Pot and pressure cook a few more minutes. Hope that helps!
Rita Scannell says
without a pressure cooker how long do you recommend cooking mung beans – I usually soak overnight and then cook the following morning – nutritionally is there a difference between our methods?
Not really. The instant pot is convenient as it allows you to bypass the soaking without nutritional detriment. When I cook mine without the instant pot, I usually soak overnight then cook for ~10-15 minutes or until tender!
becky says
How long do you cook soaked mung beans in the Instant Pot? Also, I thought soaking would start the sprouting process, which makes more nutrients bioavailable–is the difference nominal if they’re not completely sprouted? Thanks!
Hi Becky, for soaked mung beans, we’d suggest reducing the cook time slightly. Our understanding is that soaking does help a bit with digestibility.
Christine says
I go to your site frequently for advice. Thank you! But, darn! The link to the pdf on cooking times doesn’t seem to be working. Is there any other way to get it?
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Christine! We aren’t able to replicate the issue you’re having. Have you tried using a different browser or device?
CHRISTINE says
I just cooked pre- soaked mung beans in my instant pot. I cooked 4 minutes. They were pretty soft. Think I’ll go for 3 minutes next time.