Mung beans

No: rinsed mung beans cook without soaking in about 30–40 minutes of gentle simmering. Soaking them for a few hours shortens the cooking time; cook until tender, then drain if there is excess water.

Simmer them gently in plenty of water rather than boiling hard, and start checking after about 20 minutes if they have been soaked. Salt towards the end and stop cooking as soon as the beans are tender, before their skins split.

Cool them promptly, then keep them in a covered container in the fridge and use within three to four days. You can also freeze cooked beans in meal-sized portions; thaw them in the fridge or add them straight to a hot stew.

Use cooked mung beans in khichdi, the South Asian rice-and-lentil dish, or simmer them into dal with spices such as cumin, turmeric and ginger. They also work in soups, salads and savoury mung bean pancakes made from soaked, blended beans.

Raw sprouts can carry harmful bacteria, so cook them thoroughly rather than adding them raw to salads or sandwiches. Stir-fry them until piping hot, or add them to soup for the final few minutes.

Not as a direct swap: sprouts are crisp and cook in minutes, while whole mung beans are starchy and need simmering until tender. Add sprouts near the end of a stir-fry; use cooked beans in soups, curries or salads.

For a stew or dal, split red lentils are a quick substitute, though they soften into a purée; green or brown lentils stay firmer and take longer. For a mung bean sprout stir-fry, use another crisp sprout or finely sliced cabbage.