Bean Sprouts (Gia dau xanh)

Bean sprouts are generally germinated by soaking mung beans in water over night and keeping them in a dark place for a few days. The whole mung bean or green bean is used to make bean sprouts. They are very popular in Asian cuisines – from garnishes for almost any salad plate (dia rau song), for soups, for stir-frying, or for a filling in some fresh spring rolls or Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls). Because bean sprouts are not widely served in Western cuisines, they are quite expensive in American supermarkets. After many failed attempts to make bean sprouts from mung beans at home, by using simple equipment, I finally succeeded!
 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried whole mung beans
Enough water to cover the beans

Equipment:
One 10 inch black plastic bowl
Two 8 inch plastic colanders
2 pieces of white cloth or wash cloths
1 heavy object weighing about 2 lbs

Directions:
Soak the mung beans for 18 hours with enough water to cover them.
After soaking the beans overnight, wet both white cloths.
With one of the cloths, line the bottom of the colander.

Arrange the soaked mung beans in one layer.

Cover with the other white cloth.

Put another colander on top of the white cloth, and put the 2-lb. weight inside the top colander.

Find a dark place in your kitchen – perhaps the sink cabinet. Keep the mung beans there for 3 days. Twice each day, bring the mung beans out and water them with warm water. The result is amazing – 350 grams of bean sprouts. That is it!