Split moon beans, also known as mung beans, have been a staple in East and Southeast Asian cooking for centuries, valued for their quick cooking time and nutritional profile. They appear in dishes ranging from sweet desserts in China to savory salads and soups in Vietnam and Thailand.

In Chinese cuisine, mung beans are often boiled and sweetened for desserts. In Korean cuisine, they are ground into a paste for "nokdu-muk" (mung bean jelly). In Indian cuisine, split mung beans (moong dal) are cooked with spices into a hearty dal. Each region adapts the bean to local flavors and textures.

Vietnamese households frequently serve boiled mung beans as a cooling salad called "gỏi đậu xanh," tossed with lime, fish sauce, herbs, and peanuts. The beans provide a light, protein‑rich component to the fresh salad.

Mung beans are often prepared for Lunar New Year celebrations as a symbol of renewal and health. In some Chinese regions, sweet mung bean soup is served to guests as a welcoming dish during festivals.

These beans complement steamed jasmine rice, grilled fish, or a simple stir‑fried vegetable medley. They also work beautifully as a protein boost in noodle bowls or as a topping for bibimbap‑style rice dishes.

Traditional recipes use water, bay leaves, and aromatics like ginger or garlic. In this recipe, coconut oil is added after cooking to keep beans separate. If coconut oil isn’t available, any neutral oil such as vegetable or olive oil works as a substitute.

The biggest errors are adding salt or acidic ingredients before cooking, which prolongs the cooking time, and forgetting to stir in oil after cooking, which can cause the beans to clump together. Also, using too little water will leave beans under‑cooked.

Salt and acid harden the bean skins, making them take much longer to soften. By omitting them, the beans cook quickly and evenly in the rice cooker’s sealed environment.

Yes, you can cook a batch ahead and store the beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or freeze them for up to two months. Reheat gently with a splash of water to restore moisture.

The YouTube channel CookingWithKimberly focuses on practical, everyday cooking tips, especially using common kitchen appliances like rice cookers, slow cookers, and Instant Pots to simplify home meals.

CookingWithKimberly emphasizes low‑maintenance, one‑pot techniques that let busy home cooks achieve authentic Asian flavors without extensive prep or constant supervision, unlike many channels that rely on stovetop monitoring.