A Healthy Snack or Dessert: Mung Bean Balls with Pandan Leaf

Somewhere between savory and sweet, these Mung Bean Balls with Pandan Leaf make an excellent snack along with a cup of strong coffee or tea. Mung beans are a small green dried bean, easily available at Asian or Indian food stores. Pandan leaf is a sweet, unique-tasting herb that can also be purchased (usually frozen) at most Asian grocers (or you can buy it already prepared in paste form). Pandan adds flavor and enhances the green color of the beans as they cook in coconut milk. The beans are then mashed and formed into balls which are rolled in a mixture of crushed pistachio nuts and toasted coconut. This healthy snack or dessert is fun to make, and a terrific way to get the health benefits of beans in your diet. (photo by D. Schmidt)

Looking for More Thai Snack Recipes? Try my:

• Thai Fish Cakes
• Thai Potstickers.

For More Thai Dessert Ideas, check out:

• Mango Sticky Sweet Rice Dessert
• Thai Coconut-Mango Cake